Litigation

MI Justice Young: ?I?m Still Standing?

By Peter Hardin

A campaign slugfest returned the Michigan Supreme Court to Republicans with the defeat Tuesday of Justice Alton Davis and election of Justice Robert Young and Judge Mary Beth Kelley.

In other states’ contested elections, a woman will hold the title of Ohio chief justice for the first time; and a Republican justice calling himself a “tea party conservative” triumphed over a Democratic challenger in Alabama.

In Michigan, Justice Young (photo at right, courtesy of his campaign website) prevailed despite harsh Democratic attack ads that had accused him of coddling polluters and crude conduct.

“I’m still standing,” Justice Young said last night, according to a Detroit Free Press article. “When you shoot at the king, you’re supposed to kill him.”

He and Wayne County Circuit Judge Kelly placed ahead of Justice Davis, appointed this year by Michigan’s Democratic governor, and Democrat Denise Langford Morris, a circuit judge in Oakland County.

In Ohio, Justice Maureen O?Connor defeated recently appointed Chief Justice Eric Brown, a Democrat. Republican Justice Judith Lanzinger defeated her challenger, Democratic appellate judge Mary Jane Trapp, according to a Cleveland Plain Dealer article. Both Republicans cruised to easy victories.

Justice Brown could be re-seated on the high court by Gov. Ted Strickland, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Justice Brown has served as the Ohio Supreme Court’s only Democrat since he was appointed this year to fill a vacancy.

Republicans maintained control of the Alabama Supreme Court, according to a Montgomery Advertiser article, in multiple election victories.

Self-described “tea party conservative” Justice Tom Parker defeated Democratic Judge Mac Parsons; Republican appeals judge Kelli Wise defeated Democratic lawyer Rhonda Chambers; and Republican Justice Mike Bolin beat Democratic lawyer Tom Edwards.

You can learn more about these races from Justice at Stake’s Election 2010 Results page and an analysis released today by JAS and the Brennan Center for Justice.

Full post as published by The Gavel on November 03, 2010 (boomark / email).