Stephen Markman

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[edit] Biography

Stephen Markman was appointed as the 103rd Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. Prior to that, he served as Judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals, having been re-elected in 1996 and 1998 from his 60-county judicial district. Prior to being appointed to the Court, Justice Markman practiced law with the firm of Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone in Detroit. From 1989-93, he served as United States Attorney in Michigan after being nominated to that position by President George Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate.

Prior to this, Justice Markman served for four years as Assistant Attorney General of the United States after being nominated by President Ronald Reagan and confirmed by the United States Senate. In that position, he headed the Justice Department's Office of Legal Policy which served as the principal policy development office within the Department and which coordinated the federal judicial selection process. Prior to this, he served as Chief Counsel of the United States Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution and as Deputy Chief Counsel of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee for seven years.

Justice Markman has authored articles for the Stanford Law Review, the University of Chicago Law Review, the University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, the American Criminal Justice Law Review, the Barrister's Law Journal, the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy and the Detroit College of Law Review.

Justice Markman teaches constitutional law at Hillsdale College. He has traveled to the Ukraine on two occasions, on behalf of the State Department and the American Bar Association, to provide assistance in the development of that nation's new constitution. Justice Markman is a Fellow of the Michigan Bar Foundation, a Master of the Bench of the American Inns of Court, and a member of the One Hundred Club. Justice Markman has actively participated in and spoken before numerous youth and civic organizations in Detroit and throughout Michigan, and has coached Little League baseball and basketball teams. He lives with his wife, Mary Kathleen, and their younger son, Charles (18), in Mason. Justice Markman's older son, James is currently serving in the United States Army.

Justice Markman was appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court by Governor John Engler, effective October 1, 1999, to fill the seat vacated by Justice James H. Brickley. In 2000 he was elected to complete the term, which expired January 1, 2005. In 2004 he was reelected to an eight-year term which expires January 1, 2013.

[edit] Michigan Supreme Court Overview

The Supreme Court is Michigan's court of last resort, consisting of seven justices. Supreme Court justices are elected for eight-year terms. Candidates are nominated by political parties and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot. Two justices are elected every two years (one in the eighth year) in the November election. Supreme Court candidates must be qualified electors, licensed to practice law in Michigan for at least five years, and at the time of election must be under 70 years of age. The justices' salary is fixed by the State Officers Compensation Commission and paid by the state. Vacancies are filled by appointment of the Governor until the next general election. Every two years, the justices of the Court elect a member of the Court as chief justice.

Cases come before the Court during a term that starts August 1 and runs through July 31 of the following year. The Court hears oral arguments in Lansing beginning in October of each term. Decisions are released throughout the term, following oral arguments.

Each year, the Supreme Court receives over 2,000 applications for leave to appeal from litigants primarily seeking review of decisions by the Michigan Court of Appeals. Each justice is responsible for reviewing each case to determine whether leave should be granted. The Court issues a decision in all cases filed with the Clerk's Office. Cases that are accepted for oral argument may be decided by an order, with or without an opinion. These orders may affirm or reverse the Michigan Court of Appeals, may remand a case to the trial court, or may adopt a correct Court of Appeals opinion.

The Supreme Court's authority to hear cases is discretionary. The Court grants leave to those cases of greatest complexity and public import, where additional briefing and oral argument are essential to reaching a just outcome.

In addition to its judicial duties, the Supreme Court is responsible for the general administrative supervision of all courts in the state. The Supreme Court also establishes rules for practice and procedure in all courts.