Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed a new law that will remove all
lawsuits against the state from the jurisdiction of the Ingham County and place them before the state appeals court. While Democrats alleged the step isn't much different from court rigging, Snyder, who signed the law on Tuesday, said in a written statement that cases against the state affect the entire state and "it only makes sense that judges from all across Michigan hear and decide."
Critics have argued that the new law is unconstitutional and an attempt to grab power. However, promoters of the law, which cleared the Michigan legislature in two weeks, maintain that Ingham County voters represent only 3 percent of state voters while appeals judges are elected by 25 percent of state voters. Hence matters affecting the entire state should be decided by appeals judges.
Under the new law, the Michigan Supreme Court will appoint four appeals judges for two-year terms to become Court of Claims judges. The rulings of the new Court of Claims judges can be appealed against before other appeals judges following the appellate process. All Court of Claims cases seeking at least $1000 in damages would be moved from the circuit court in Ingham County to the state appeals court.
Other lawsuits against the state like constitutional challenges, open meeting violations, freedom of information rights and others would be moved from the jurisdiction of
county judges wherever they may be and placed before the four judges appointed to the state appeals court for this purpose.
Of recent, judges in the Democratic-leaning Ingham County have been ruling frequently for labor unions and against Snyder, especially on challenges concerning workplace and employment related laws and salary deductions from state employees and teachers. Many of such decisions made by Ingham County judges have been later overturned at the high court.
