William Whitbeck
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William C. Whitbeck is a judge on the Michigan Fourth District Court of Appeals. He was appointed to the Court in 1997 and reelected to six-year terms in 1998 and 2004. The Supreme Court appointed him as Chief Judge in 2001 for a two-year term. He was reappointed for additional two-year terms as Chief Judge in 2003 and 2005. His term expires January 1, 2011.
Legal education and experience
Chief Judge Whitbeck received his bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan. Prior to serving on the bench, Judge Whitbeck was director of the Office of State Employer, director of policy for the Public Service Commission, director of the Detroit area office for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, an administrative assistant to Governor George Romney, a legislative analyst for the Department of Commerce, and worked as an attorney in private practice.[1]
RMGN effort fails
Chief Judge William Whitbeck and Judges Patrick Meter and Bill Schuette determined that the proposal from Reform Michigan Government Now was "an illegal attempt to enact a general revision of the state constitution." According to the Detroit Free Press, "A sweeping proposal led by Michigan Democrats and labor unions to rewrite much of the Michigan Constitution appears dead after a court ruling August 20, 2008."[2]
RMGN and the Court of Appeals
Reform Michigan Government Now's (RMGN) proposal to reduce the Michigan Court of Appeals from 28 to 21 judges, based on term expiration dates, intended to shift the court's political power from the Republicans to the Democrats. Had it passed, the court's political makeup would have been changed from the current 16 Republican judges and 12 Democratic judges to 10 Republican judges and 11 Democratic judges--thereby eliminating six Republican judges and one Democratic judge. The judges targeted by the Reform Michigan Government Now proposal were: Pat Donofrio, Joel Hoekstra, Donald Owens, David Sawyer, William Whitbeck, Kurtis Wilder, and Helene White--the only Democrat affected by these removals.[3]
See also
External links
- Dolan Media
- William Whitbeck Biography
- Court of Appeals: Testimony
- The Institute of Continuing Legal Education
- Governor Engler Appoints Whitbeck to Court of Appeals
- Biography of Commission member, William Whitbeck
- The Michigan Lawyer Blog
- Editorial on "Reform" controversy
- Judge's Footnote On Adultery Stirs a Tempest In Michigan
- State government reform plan loses a round in appeals court
- Lower judges fear Michigan SC split could color courts partisan
- Detroit Free Press
- Lansing State Journal
References
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