Written by Tanya Terry
Featured photo courtesy of the League of Women Voters-Michigan Supreme Court Candidates-Top row/left to right: Judge Michael Warren-Oakland Circuit, Thomas Howe and Justice Noah Hood-Michigan Supreme Court Second row/left to right: Jody White, Chief Justice Megan Cavanagh and Judge Casandra Morse-Bills
The League of Women Voters hosted a Michigan Supreme Court Candidate Forum on September 22.
Lynne Kochmanski, co-president of the League of Women Voters of Michigan, opened the forum featuring six candidates for the Michigan Supreme Court: Chief Justice Megan Cavanagh, Justice Noah Hood, Judge Casandra Morse-Bills, Judge Michael Warren, Thomas Howe and Jody White.
Moderator Judy Florian, vice president for Voter Service for the League of Women Voters of Michigan, explained that the Michigan Supreme Court is the state’s highest court and a nonpartisan judicial body.
Each candidate provided opening statements, then responded to questions about their qualifications and judicial philosophy.
Justice Noah Hood emphasized his unique experience serving as a justice, Court of Appeals judge, trial judge and trial lawyer, stating he is the only candidate with all these experiences.
Jody White, a real estate broker of 40 years, focused on listening to families’ experiences with courts and using the Supreme Court’s oversight authority to improve court processes.
Judge Michael Warren highlighted his 23 years on the Oakland County Circuit Court bench and over 420 jury trials, noting that five of the seven current justices were never judges before joining the Supreme Court. He emphasized the need for balance given the current 6-to-1 Democrat-nominated majority.
Chief Justice Megan Cavanagh discussed her career as an attorney and judge, emphasizing her focus on expanding access to justice and collaborating with tribal courts.
Judge Casandra Morse-Bills, a sitting judge in northern Michigan for eight years and former prosecutor, stressed that judges should follow the law and uphold the Constitution rather than have personal philosophies.
Thomas Howe criticized the closed loop of bar members controlling the courts and advocated for applying the law as a public officer, not serving bar association interests.
When discussing judicial philosophy, candidates differed in approach. Cavanagh emphasized making law understandable to citizens and starting with text. Morse-Bills criticized recent Supreme Court decisions for legislating from the bench. Howe focused on fewer needless cases and shorter resolution times. Hood emphasized the importance of addressing major resource gaps, such as unequal pay for court staff in different counties and a stark divide in legal representation between wealthy and low-income individuals. White emphasized faith, fairness, facts and accountability; and Warren stressed applying law fairly based on original intent without imposing personal views.
All candidates affirmed their commitment to following the law rather than engaging in judicial activism, though they differed on how to interpret unclear laws and constitutional provisions.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization and enforced time limits and random speaking order rotations to ensure fairness.
There are two seats to be filled for the Michigan Supreme Court on November 3 – when voters will decide on numerous elections.
Denise Hartsough, co-president of the League stated: “We encourage every eligible voter to visit VOTE411.org to find election information tailored to them and vote in the November election, whether early and in person, absentee or at the polls.”
