Opinion ID: 849171
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the supreme court's authority to increase discipline

Text: Before addressing the now-dynamited dynamic, though, I must address the majority's error in concluding that this Court even has the authority to increase the level of discipline recommended by the JTC. The JTC was created by the Michigan Constitution, and this Court's authority over judicial discipline is granted by that document as well. Our authority, however, is limited: On recommendation of the judicial tenure commission, the supreme court may censure, suspend with or without salary, retire or remove a judge for conviction of a felony, physical or mental disability which prevents the performance of judicial duties, misconduct in office, persistent failure to perform his duties, habitual intemperance or conduct that is clearly prejudicial to the administration of justice. The supreme court shall make rules implementing this section and providing for confidentiality and privilege of proceedings. [Const.1963, art. 6, § 30(2).] The majority concludes that this provision gives this Court the authority to increase the level of discipline recommended by the JTC. It observes that this Court may censure, suspend with or without pay, retire or remove a judge. See op. at 857, quoting Const.1963, art. 6, § 30(2). However, I cannot agree with that conclusion because it does not account for the common understanding of the constitution. When interpreting constitutional provisions, this Court applies the rule of common understanding, first articulated by Justice COOLEY. Any such analysis is conspicuously absent from the majority opinion, but under this rule, we interpret the constitution to have the meaning most obvious to the common understanding, which is the meaning reasonable minds, the great mass of the people, would give it. See Traverse City Sch. Dist. v. Attorney Gen., 384 Mich. 390, 405, 185 N.W.2d 9 (1971). The most obvious sense of the constitution is that this Court may impose the levels of discipline mentioned, but that it may only do so [o]n recommendation of the judicial tenure commission.... This phrase introduces this Court's power in judicial discipline cases, and conditions any exercise of this Court's authority on that exercise first having been recommended by the JTC. If the JTC has not recommended to this Court that the Court exercise its authority to impose a certain penalty, then any such exercise by definition cannot be on recommendation of the JTC. This Court's actions in judicial discipline cases that are not on recommendation of the JTC are actions in the first instance, and are not authorized by the constitution. Rather, they are an assertion of plenary power over judicial discipline cases. This exercise of plenary power is contrary to this Court's demonstrated understanding of its proper role in judicial discipline cases. For example, In re Mikesell, 396 Mich. 517, 243 N.W.2d 86 (1976), held that § 30(2) authorizes this Court to act in judicial discipline cases only on the JTC's recommendations. In Mikesell, the JTC filed a complaint against the respondent judge, alleging twelve instances of misconduct. However, only five of the twelve allegations survived the initial proceedings and were recommended to this Court as bases for discipline. One of the issues this Court had to decide was whether it could consider all twelve allegations, or only those five that survived the JTC's review. The Court concluded that the allegations upon which the JTC had not relied were not part of the recommendation of the Commission and [would] not be considered by this Court. Id. at 526, 243 N.W.2d 86. Thus, Mikesell held that in judicial discipline cases, this Court is limited to acting on recommendation of the JTC, and matters beyond the JTC's recommendation are not to be considered by the Court. [1] Despite the Court being restricted to acting on recommendation of the JTC, a majority of this Court imposes discipline on respondent that is beyond the JTC's recommendation. The JTC recommended that respondent receive a thirty-day suspension, but the Court has gone well beyond that recommendation to impose a six-month suspension. Like the bases of discipline that were not recommended and could not be considered in Mikesell, the six-month suspension the Court imposes on respondent was not recommended to this Court, so this Court lacks the constitutional authorization to consider such discipline, let alone the authorization to impose it on respondent. If the Court is unhappy with the JTC's recommendation, it should follow our longstanding practice and remand the case to the JTC, rather than assert its own power to act beyond the JTC's recommendation. Because the constitution limits this Court to the discipline recommended by the JTC, I also cannot agree with the majority's interpretation of MCR 9.225. That rule, which provides that this Court may modify the JTC's recommendations, must be read to conform to the Constitution. As we stated in Grievance Administrator v. Underwood, 462 Mich. 188, 193, 612 N.W.2d 116 (2000), the court rules are interpreted under the principles of statutory construction, which require us to read the court rules in a manner that does not conflict with the Constitution. See People v. McLeod, 407 Mich. 632, 657, 288 N.W.2d 909 (1980). Thus, the court rule's provision that we may modify the JTC's recommendations can only mean that this Court may modify them as long as it stays within the recommendations. It cannot mean that this Court may modify a recommendation to do something that the JTC has not recommended in the first place. Doing so is not modifying a recommendation for action, but is taking a greater action despite the recommendation. Such a meaning and the actions pursuant to it, conflict with the constitutional requirement that this Court can only act on recommendation of the JTC. [2] The majority seems to understand me to first deconstruct and torture the term modify, and then urge that the constitutional language on recommendation conditions this Court's power in judicial discipline cases. See op. at 862. This understanding is quite backward. As explained above, the on recommendation language from art. 6, § 30(2) limits this Court's power. Because of that limit, we must interpret the term modify consistent with the constitution, which means interpreting it to mean that this Court cannot exceed the JTC recommendations in imposing discipline. If interpreting a term in the court rules consistent with the constitution is a tortured reading of the term, then this Court must be the Torquemada of text, because we interpret such terms as consistent with the constitution as frequently as necessary because it is our duty. See McLeod, supra at 657, 288 N.W.2d 909; see also Singer, 2A Statutes & Statutory Construction (6th ed.), § 45.11, pp. 70-71. If adhering to this canon of construction is torturing a word, then we all must be prepared to occasionally inflict forty lashes. Beyond this, I find perplexing the majority's other pontifications on restricting the term modify to conform to the constitutional requirements. See op. at 858, n. 10. The majority sees no indication that the term modify only allows the Court to operate within the JTC's recommendations, but that indication is the constitution, which restricts this Court to the JTC recommendations. Further, the majority suggests that, absent the expansive understanding of modify, which is only possible once the constitutional limitation that this Court may act only on the JTC's recommendation is discarded, this Court would be unable to review JTC decisions, and would not operate under the rule of law. For thirty-three years, however, this Court has successfully reviewed JTC actions, and has issued written opinions and judgments in accord with its review without exercising the power to sua sponte increase the discipline imposed on respondent judges. During that time, rather than act in the first instance, if our review of JTC decisions had left us dissatisfied, we indicated that the proposed discipline was inappropriate and remanded such decisions to the JTC for further consideration. See, e.g., In re Griffin; In re Lawrence, 419 Mich. 1212, 353 N.W.2d 462 (1984). Our practice of conforming to the constitutional language and remanding to the JTC in no way hindered our ability to review JTC decisions. In carrying out our review, we simply gave the JTC an opportunity to come to a satisfactory decision before this Court reviewed the matter again. Because this Court's longstanding practice fully effectuated its duty to review JTC decisions, the majority's apparent conclusion that for the past thirty-three years, this Court and the JTC have been operating outside of the rule of law is at best hyperbole, and disrespects this Court itself. Overstated as well are the majority's protestations that my position is contrary to the central organizing principle of constitutional government. The majority asserts that under my view, the JTC is not accountable to any elected body, and that the JTC, therefore, could act inappropriately and no elected body could do a thing about it. See op. at 863-64. These assertions are simply not true. Under my view, the JTC remains accountable to this Court, which is in turn accountable to the people of Michigan. JTC recommendations must be approved by this Court, and if we think the recommended discipline is not sufficient, we can direct the JTC to consider the matter further. Thus, if the JTC acts inappropriately, we can do a thing about it, the same thing we have done for years. For those years, and under the constitutional condition that our actions must be on recommendation of the JTC, accountability has not been a problem, and continuing as we have been is in no way a threat to our constitutional order. [3] Thus, I cannot agree that this Court may impose greater discipline on respondent than the JTC recommended because the constitution only allows this Court to take those actions that the JTC has recommended. Rather than imposing a harsher sanction itself, if the Court believes that the JTC's recommended discipline is insufficient, it should remand the case to the JTC to formulate a more severe sanction, as we have done in the past. In the instant case, though, such a remand would be odd, because respondent had agreed to accept the JTC's recommendation, and did not petition this Court to modify that recommendation. Cases like the instant case illustrate that the majority's misreading of the constitution will cause unfortunate consequences in judicial discipline proceedings.