Opinion ID: 2221665
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the united states district court lacks appellate jurisdiction over the michigan supreme court.

Text: It is clear to the members of this Court that the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan lacks appellate jurisdiction over the orders and decisions issued by this Court. A direct appeal from a decision of this Court is made by application for certiorari to the United States Supreme Court, not by petition to one of the United States District Courts. 28 U.S.C. § 1257(a). Under principles of comity and federalism, a federal court should not interfere with ongoing state criminal proceedings by granting injunctive or declaratory relief. Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37, 43-54, 91 S.Ct. 746, 27 L.Ed.2d 669 (1971).The district court's effective assumption of jurisdiction over defendant's request for an appeal bond in this case is without apparent precedent. [8] As clearly recognized by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit: The United States District Courts do not, of course, sit as appellate courts to review the use or abuse of discretion of the state courts of Michigan in granting or withholding bail pending final appeal.[ Bloss v. Michigan, 421 F.2d 903, 906 (C.A.6, 1970).] By granting defendant's Emergency Ex Parte Request for Continuation of Bond Pending Hearing, the district court apparently accepted the premise that defendant was entitled to appeal bond under state law. The district court's opinion and order can only logically be interpreted to mean that the district court finds the opinion of the Michigan Court of Appealswhich the district court characterized as a reasoned decisionmore persuasive than the opinion of the Michigan Supreme Court. The district court rejected the decision of the state trial court and the order signed by a majority of this Court, which concluded that the defendant did not satisfy the criteria for release on an appeal bond. Clearly, the district court's decision presumes the authority to substantively review decisions of this Court regarding motions for bond pending appeal. The district court's order also implies that the district court believes this Court abused its discretion in reversing the Court of Appeals. [9] The Sixth Circuit has clearly recognized that the district courts do not enjoy the power of appellate review over this Court's decisions granting or denying appeal bond. [10] The district court ignored this principle, in order to express its preference for the decision of the intermediate state appellate court. The district court focused on whether this Court's March 3, 2000, order adequately explained the reasoning behind the decision to deny defendant's motion for appeal bond. In effect, the district court held that it was prevented from reviewing the merits of the defendant's motion for appeal bond on the record presented to it. However, it is clear that the district court has no authority to engage in such a review in the first place. [11]
The February 10, 2000 decision of the Court of Appeals granting defendant appeal bond purported to consider whether defendant had carried his burden of proof under People v. Giacalone, 16 Mich.App. 352, 355-357, 167 N.W.2d 871 (1969). While we express no opinion about the first, second, or fourth Giacalone factors, we believe it is clear that the analysis employed by the Court of Appeals on the third factor was insufficient and erroneous. The Court of Appeals simply stated: we are not so convinced that defendant's appeal is clearly without arguable merit. [12] The Court of Appeals did not explain or elaborate which issues raised by defendant in his substantive appeal had arguable legal merit. A majority of this Court was convinced that neither the defendant nor the Court of Appeals adequately explained how the defendant had satisfied his burden of proof on this issue. The import of our March 3, 2000, order, which the district court failed to appreciate, was that the defendant in this case failed to carry his burden of proof in the lower courts, and thereby failed to demonstrate that he was deserving of bond. We believe that peremptory orders sometimes issued by this Court must and do convey that this Court has fully considered the arguments presented by the parties. Considering the thousands of applications for leave to appeal and petitions for other forms of relief filed with this Court on a yearly basis, the ability to sometimes issue peremptory orders resolving a party's claims is essential to the efficient and practical administration of justice in this state. Logically, a peremptory order vacating a grant of appeal bond to a defendant must convey, at the very least, that this Court believes the defendant failed to carry his burden of proof in the lower courts.