A Call For Judicial Restraint ... or ... A Lansing Blow

posted by The Sailor @ 3:53 PM Permalink

My pen pal Justice Bedsworth has a new column up regarding the Michigan Supreme Court's squabbling over who gets to play chief. A couple of excerpts:

When they re-elected their present Chief Justice this month Justice Weaver filed an 18-page dissent!  A dissent!  To an election!

She included in it a history of backstage dirt that was titillating even to someone who didn’t know any of the principals. She also expressed her opinion that the court neither had nor deserved the respect of the public, and — best of all — her complaint that the court’s press release about the election did not mention that the vote was 4-3 and that she would be preparing a dissent.
[...]
the present Chief Justice, who went so far as to suggest IN AN OPINION that she should continue her vendetta with a hunger strike because "that seems to have the potential for everyone to be a winner."

Beds also pointed out the AP headline regarding this foofaraw:"Decorum takes a hit as disorder reigns in state supreme court."
I say pshaw! As far as I know, nothing reigns in a Supreme Court, including disorder.

So, while Beds wishes he had thought of it first, I think this is a perfect example of the need for judicial restraint ... the padded leather kind.