Sterling Law Office Attorney Lea Ann Sterling believes that we all want and expect the justices who sit on the Michigan Supreme Court to be fair, impartial, and free from financial entanglements with special interests. Unfortunately, Michigan’s method of selecting state Supreme Court justices is marked by million-dollar election campaigns that rely on donations from special interest groups. Once seated, the justices are subject to no explicit rules of disqualification for conflicts of interest. Indeed, Michigan Supreme Court decisions of recent years overrule decades of precedent and often seem biased against the insured, the employee, the environment, and the victim of negligence. The system is broken and undermines the public trust and confidence in the Court. This is a recipe for trouble that Lea Ann has been busy working to change.
Lea Ann has been helping to organize a community forum to explore this controversy and search for a remedy. The event, “Courting Trouble: The Threat to a Fair, Open, and Independent Supreme Court,” is scheduled for Thursday, October 25, 2007 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., at Oleson Center, Northwestern Michigan College campus.
Speakers will include Detroit Free Press columnist Brian Dickerson, who will describe the controversial decisions of the Michigan Supreme Court and their effect on Michigan citizens. Rich Robinson, Executive Director of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, will discuss the toxic impact of big money judicial election campaigns. Michigan Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Weaver is an invited guest and she may address the forum. Proposals for statewide change to address this problem will likely include:
* Public funding of Supreme Court elections
* Conflicts of interest rules
* Full and timely disclosure of campaign contribution sources
Bring your input to the public discussion. You will learn what you can do to bring about the changes needed to restore the Michigan Supreme Court to one that is fair, open, and independent.
The League of Women Voters, the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, the Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council, the Traverse City Record-Eagle, and Leelanau Independent Women for Democratic Action are sponsoring this important event. For more information, contact Lea Ann Sterling, a member of Leelanau Independent Women for Democratic Action, at Sterling Law Office, 231-326-4010 or toll free 877-221-7628.
Posted by Mary Wreford; Approved by Lea Ann Sterling, Esq., October 9, 2007
The information presented in this article is for general information only and should not be construed to be legal advice.