The Sugar Law Center is requesting that Michigan Supreme Court Justice Stephen Markman recuse himself from anything related to their lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Public Act 4, the Emergency Manager Law:
Lawyers fighting Michigan’s tough new emergency manager law want a Michigan Supreme Court justice to recuse himself from the case because his wife represents the government in a separate lawsuit challenging the same law.Lawyers from the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice said in a brief filed Wednesday that Justice Stephen Markman should recuse himself from their challenge of the emergency manager law’s constitutionality, which Gov. Rick Snyder wants sent directly to the Michigan Supreme Court.
Markman’s wife, Kathleen, who works for the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, is one of two lawyers representing state officials in a federal lawsuit in which a city of Detroit pension fund alleges the emergency manager law is unconstitutional.A recusal by Markman would be significant because it would erase the 4-3 majority on the court held by justices nominated by the Michigan Republican Party.
Hell, yeah, he should recuse himself. That’s a MAJOR conflict of interest. Question is, will he do the right thing? Since he’s a Republican, eight ball sez, “outlook not so good”. Also, too: “very doubtful”.
Adding…Anyone wanna bet me that Kathleen Markman is the one who will end up recusing herself? I’d lay money on that. That’s how the GOP rolls, right?
