Michigan Governor Urged to Follow Task Force Recommendation

With Justice Diane Hathaway resigning in the face of serious ethics charges, some are urging Governor Rick Snyder to follow a task force's recommendations in appointing Hathaway's successor on the Michigan Supreme Court. Formed in late 2010, the Michigan Judicial Selection Task Force studied the state's process for selecting supreme court justices and called for a number of reforms in its April 2012 report, including the governor's use of a nominating commission in filling midterm judicial vacancies. IAALS Executive Director Rebecca Love Kourlis and O'Connor Advisory Committee Chair Ruth V. McGregor served as advisors to the task force and touted the value of such commissions.