Case Title: Attorney General v. Clarke

Citation: 

Docket Number: 142550

State: michigan

Court: Michigan Supreme Court

Date: 2011-05-17T00:00:00Z

Document:
FILED MAY 17, 2011 
 
S T A T E  O F  M I C H I G A N 
 
SUPREME COURT 
 
 
ATTORNEY GENERAL, 
 
 
Plaintiff, 
 
 
v 
No. 142550 
 
HUGH CLARKE, 
 
 
 
Defendant. 
 
 
 
BEFORE THE ENTIRE BENCH  
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
Defendant, Judge Hugh Clarke, was appointed to the 54-A District Court by 
former Governor Jennifer Granholm.  The Attorney General claims that defendant is not 
entitled to hold office beyond January 1, 2011, and brought this quo warranto action to 
oust defendant.  See MCL 600.4505(1); MCL 600.4515.  Having assumed jurisdiction 
over this action and having heard oral argument, we hereby dismiss plaintiff’s complaint. 
In November 2004, Judge AMY KRAUSE of the 54-A District Court was elected to 
a six-year term of office beginning on January 1, 2005.  In November 2010, Judge 
 
Michigan Supreme Court
Lansing, Michigan
Opinion 
 
Chief Justice: 
Robert P. Young, Jr. 
 
 
Justices: 
Michael F. Cavanagh 
Marilyn Kelly 
Stephen J. Markman 
Diane M. Hathaway 
Mary Beth Kelly 
Brian K. Zahra 
 
 
 
 
 
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KRAUSE was reelected to another six-year term that was to begin on January 1, 2011.  
However, on November 23, 2010, Governor Granholm appointed Judge KRAUSE to fill a 
vacancy on the Court of Appeals.  Judge KRAUSE resigned from the 54-A District Court 
effective December 13, 2010, and Governor Granholm appointed defendant to the 
position on December 20, 2010, effective December 22, 2010.  Governor Granholm’s 
term of office as governor ended on January 1, 2011.   
The Attorney General brought a quo warranto action in the Court of Appeals, 
claiming that defendant is not entitled to remain in office beyond the term of office to 
which he was appointed—that is, beyond January 1, 2011—and that the Governor is not 
entitled to fill a judicial vacancy for a term that does not begin until after the Governor 
leaves office.  We granted defendant’s application to bypass consideration of the matter 
by the Court of Appeals and assumed jurisdiction over the action.  488 Mich 1052 
(2011); see MCR 7.302(C)(1). 
We conclude the following: 
(1)  A judicial vacancy “shall be filled by appointment by the governor.”  Const 
1963, art 6, § 23.   
(2)  The resignation of Judge KRAUSE created a vacancy on the 54-A District 
Court.  Id.  (“A vacancy shall occur . . . in the district court by . . . resignation . . . .”). 
(3)  “The person appointed by the governor shall hold office until 12 noon of the 
first day of January next succeeding the first general election held after the vacancy 
occurs . . . .”  Id. 
(4)  Michigan law defines “general election” as “the election held on the 
November regular election date in an even numbered year,” MCL 168.2(h), and sets the 
 
 
 
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November regular election date as “the first Tuesday after the first Monday in 
November,” MCL 168.641(1)(d).  Accordingly, in this case, the “first general election 
held after the vacancy occurs” falls on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. 
(5)  Therefore, defendant “shall hold office until 12 noon” on January 1, 2013.  
Const 1963, art 6, § 23. 
(6)  The argument of plaintiff that an absurd result could conceivably arise under 
this Court’s interpretation of Const 1963, art 6, § 23 in circumstances not presented in 
this case raises an abstract issue that is not properly before this Court. 
(7)  Although we rule in favor of defendant, his argument that it is inconsistent 
with Const 1963, art 6, § 4 for this Court to issue a writ of quo warranto to oust a judge 
from office does not represent the law of this state, see In re Servaas, 484 Mich 634; 774 
NW2d 46 (2009), and this argument confuses judicial removal for reasons of misconduct 
with a determination that a person is not lawfully entitled to hold judicial office.   
The plain language of article 6, § 23 operates to allow an appointee to hold office 
for two separate terms when the second term begins before “12 noon of the first day of 
January next succeeding the first general election held after the vacancy occurs.”  Thus, 
contrary to plaintiff’s position and the conclusion of a plurality of justices in Attorney 
General v Riley, 417 Mich 119; 332 NW2d 353 (1983), article 6, § 23 is a “holdover” 
provision. While we understand why plaintiff relied on Riley in support of his position 
that Judge Clarke should be treated in the same manner as Justice RILEY and not be 
permitted to remain on the bench beyond the end of the term during which he was 
originally appointed, Riley does not control the outcome of today’s case because it is a 
 
 
 
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plurality decision,1 and the several rationales articulated in support of the plurality result 
are inconsistent with article 6, § 23.  Accordingly, we hereby repudiate the Riley plurality 
opinion on the ground that it is inconsistent with the constitution of this state.  
Because defendant is entitled under article 6, § 23 to hold the office of 54-A 
District Judge until January 1, 2013, we hereby dismiss plaintiff’s action for quo 
warranto.  Pursuant to MCR 7.317(C)(3), we direct the Clerk of the Court to issue the 
judgment order forthwith. 
 
 
Robert P. Young, Jr. 
 
Stephen J. Markman 
 
Diane M. Hathaway 
 
Mary Beth Kelly 
 
Brian K. Zahra 
                                              
1 “[D]ecisions in which no majority of the justices participating agree with regard to the 
reasoning are not an authoritative interpretation under the doctrine of state decisis.”  
Rowland v Washtenaw Co Rd Comm, 477 Mich 197, 206 n 7; 731 NW2d 41 (2007), 
citing Negri v Slotkin, 397 Mich 105, 109; 244 NW2d 98 (1976). 
S T A T E  O F  M I C H I G A N 
 
SUPREME COURT 
 
 
ATTORNEY GENERAL, 
 
 
Plaintiff, 
 
 
v 
No.  142550 
 
HUGH CLARKE, 
 
 
 
Defendant. 
 
 
CAVANAGH, J. (concurring). 
I concur in the majority result dismissing the complaint for quo warranto, but only 
because I believe that there is no conflict between the statutes authorizing “holdovers” for 
district court judges and the Michigan Constitution.  Specifically, MCL 168.467m(1) 
provides that “[i]f a vacancy occurs in the office of district judge, the governor shall 
appoint a successor to fill the vacancy” who “shall hold office until 12 noon of January 1 
following the next general November election at which a successor is elected and 
qualified.”  Additionally, MCL 168.467i provides that the term of office for a district 
judge “shall be 6 years” and “shall continue until a successor is elected and qualified.”  
These statutes clearly authorize holdovers for district judges and do not conflict with 
Const 1963, art 6, § 23.  Therefore, defendant is entitled to hold office until noon on 
January 1, 2013.  
 
 
Michael F. Cavanagh 
 
Marilyn Kelly