Judicial Coup D’etat on Michigan Supreme Court; Weaver the Deceiver Plays “Politics at its Worst”
August 27, 2010
Democrats have seized control of the Michigan Supreme Court as a result of a politically-rigged, backroom deal hatched months ago by Governor Jennifer Granholm and former Justice Betty Weaver.
In a surprise move, Weaver has stepped down from the bench, allowing Granholm a clear path to appoint hand-picked, trial-lawyer-friendly judge, Alton Davis. Granholm’s appointment goes into effect immediately and does not require approval by the state legislature.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not shedding a single tear in saying adios to Weaver. She has been an embarrassment to the bench for years. Detroit Free Press columnist, Brian Dickerson, famously summed up Weaver’s judicial acumen this way in a 2007 column:
“If you ran into Betty Weaver on a street corner and didn’t know she was a Michigan Supreme Court Justice, you might mistake her for a bag lady….Weaver can, in her most distracted moments, leave casual observers with the impression that she has temporarily lost her moorings in time and space.”
A well-known perk-grubber, she fought tooth-and nail to cling to a taxpayer funded car and a $60,000/year personal office. To top it all off, some of her fellow justices filed a complaint against her with the Judicial Tenure Commission earlier this year.
But this latest sleazeball move is an historic low, even for the likes of Weaver.
In an interview with the Detroit News, Weaver described a deal that makes the old Tammany Hall crowd look like a bunch of amateurs. She took credit for orchestrating the deal over the past several months:
“…first asking Davis whether he would be willing to replace her, then telling Granholm she would resign if Davis of Grayling [MI] was named to her seat. Weaver said Granholm first got in touch with Davis around June.”
Saul Anuzis of the Republican National Committee calls the whole affair “politics at its worst.” Josh Venable of the Michigan Republican Party has rightly called for an investigation into the inside dealings to see if any horse-trading or promises were made to make the deal go through.
As for Alton Davis? Hard to imagine the man can look himself in the mirror. Even harder to believe he can ever have any credibility as an unbiased Justice considering his role in this shoddy, shady exercise.
The most shameful result of this entire charade is that Gov. Granholm has completely excluded ordinary voters from choosing Weaver’s successor. While Davis will have to face the voters in November, he now does so as an “incumbent,” with all of the advantages incumbency provides. If Davis has any respect for the court – and for the people of Michigan – he should step down and let the voters select the next Michigan Supreme Court Justice.