MSU students should also think of supreme court at polls this year
Members of the MSU community should vote to re-elect Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Cliff Taylor this November. With most of the attention focused on the presidential election, few people will notice this important, nonpartisan position. However, voting for this “down ballot” office still is very important.
Michigan Supreme Court decisions have a major impact on our economy. Re-electing Justice Taylor would continue the simple, stable jurisprudence the current court is producing. Stable laws are good for business and help businesses plan and grow. Michigan needs every advantage it can get to turn its economy around.
Taylor also is endorsed by the Michigan State Medical Society and the Police Officers Association of Michigan. I encourage the entire MSU community to become informed about this election.
Jason Miller
2005 MSU graduate
Published on Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Comments
MSULordyoda
09/18/08 @ 8:13am
Holy Crap! Non Partisan?! Are you kidding me? Michigan Supreme Court candidates are nominated by the political parties. You want to be an Appellate or Supreme Court judge in Michigan you have to declare a party. Thus, I would say Michigan’s supreme court judges are much more partisan than they should be.
Obama (bin Laden)
09/18/08 @ 10:21am
Always vote against ANY judge on a ballot. That way they get the message that they work for the people and can help prevent them from legislating from the bench.
John Hussein McCain
09/18/08 @ 10:48am
Yeah, you should really stand up to legislate.
Nobama
09/18/08 @ 10:56am
John Hussein McCain
A-hole, Barak’s REAL middle name is Hussein, though we’re not supposed to use it, to challenge him in any way or to question his background. He ADMITTED his Muslim Faith in St. Louis two weeks ago. Look it up!
Matthew
09/18/08 @ 11:04am
Wow. Ignorance, thy name is Jason Miller. Justice Taylor, as one of the “Gang of Four,” has been called one of the most activist judges in the country – by Republicans. He was appointed in 1997 by Republican Governor Engler. MSULordyoda is absolutely correct about how we elect Justices in Michigan. This guy is more partisan, though he happens to be Republican, than Howard Dean.
As for Justice Taylor’s record on the bench, it is abysmal. In the past ten years, he has never ruled (or voted) against an insurance company. Never. Not even once. He contorts the law to fit the way he wants the case to come out. Michigan’s Supreme Court has been rated the worst of any state by every major agency that creates such rakings at least three times in the last five years. Justice Taylor is a radical conservative, activist judge who needs to be voted out.
dingo
09/18/08 @ 3:54pm
Is this the same Justice Taylor who can fart Swannie River from beginning to end? If it is be sure to vote for him, anyone with talent like that should sit in judgement of others.
Tim
09/18/08 @ 4:46pm
I totally agree with Jason that student should become informed. It’s sad his letter is misleading and uninformative. Matthew is right, our state Supreme Court has been legislating from the bench for years and is highly partisan.
The State News should really be more responsible when printing letters that urge students to become informed while misleading them.
Fact Checker
09/19/08 @ 4:48pm
“In the past ten years, he has never ruled (or voted) against an insurance company” (per Matthew)
== Matthew, you need to look at the facts, rather than just repeat what others put before you. So far, in 2008, the Michigan Supreme Court has published 4 opinions in which an insurance company was a party: In three of the four cases, Chief Justice Taylor ruled AGAINST the insurance company: Ross v. Auto Club Group, 481 Mich 1 (2008); Cooper v. Auto Club Ins, 481 Mich 299 (2008); Miller v. Allstate Co, 481 Mich 601 (2008).
These decisions were based on looking at the law and applying them to the facts of the case.
Finally, the Michigan Constitution requires political parties to nominate supreme court candidates. According to the Constitution, they then run on a “non-partisan” ballot. Jason is right.