History Timeline

The Michigan Supreme Court History Timeline

1805	Creation of Territorial Court: Court of Three Appointed by President for Terms “during good behavior”
1805, March 3	Woodward Appointed to Serve as First Chief Justice.
1805	Frederick Bates is Appointed to the Court.
1805, July 29	First Case Heard by the Supreme Court of the Michigan Territory.
1805, October 8	Woodward Codes are Adopted.
1808	James Witherell Joins the Court.
1823	Congressional Act: Court of Three Appointed by President for Four-Year Terms
1828	William Woodbridge Joins the Territorial Supreme Court and Becomes the First of Three Justices Who Go On to Become Governors of the State of Michigan.
1835	State Constitution: Court of Three Appointed by Governor with Consent of the Senate for Seven-Year Terms; Judges to Preside over one of the three Judicial Circuits
1836	Revision of Woodward Codes Begins.
1836, July 18	First Members of the Michigan Supreme Court, Justices Fletcher, Morrell, and Ransom are Appointed by Governor Mason.
1837, January 26	Michigan Granted Statehood.
1838	Revised Statutes: Court of Four Appointed by Governor with Consent of the Senate for Seven-Year Terms; Judges to Preside over one of the four Judicial Circuits
1848	New LawCourt of Five Appointed by Governor for Seven-Year Terms
1850	Michigan Adopts a New Constitution Allowing for Election of Supreme Court Justices to Six Year Terms. In What Is Called the “Noble Experiment,” Justices Also Serve as Circuit Court Justices.

 

1850	Michigan Adopts a New Constitution Allowing for Election of Supreme Court Justices to Six Year Terms. In What Is Called the “Noble Experiment,” Justices Also Serve as Circuit Court Justices.
1857
1858, January 1	Reorganization of the Michigan Supreme Court Providing for a Bench of One Chief Justice and Three Associate Justices. Elected for Eight-Year Terms
1868 – 1875	The “Big Four” Justices Campbell, Christiancy, Cooley and Graves, Sit Together on the Michigan Supreme Court Bench.
1887	Legislative Act: Court of Five Justices Elected for Ten-Year Term
1890	Justice James V. Campbell Dies After Serving 32 Years on the Court – Longer Than Any Other Justices.

 

1903	Act 250: Court of Eight Justices Elected for Eight-Year Term
1908	Michigan Adopts a New Constitution.
1928	Richard C. Flannigan Becomes the Shortest Sitting Justice by Being a Member of the Court for Only Four Weeks.

 

1954	Harry F. Kelly Becomes the First of Three Former Governors to Serve on the Michigan Supreme Court.
1960	Theodore Souris Becomes the First Justice of Greek Heritage to Sit on the Court.
1961	Otis M. Smith Becomes the First African-American Justice on the Court.
1963	Michigan Adopts a New Constitution that Reduces the Number of Sitting Justices from Eight to Seven. The New Constitution States “The judicial power of the state is vested in one court of justice…The Supreme Court shall have general superintending control over all courts.”
1964	Constitution: Court of Seven, Eight-Year Terms, Justices Elected (no more party conventions)
1969	Thomas E. Brennan Becomes the Court’s Youngest Chief Justice.
1969	The Court Moves to a “Temporary” Home at the G. Mennen Williams Law Building.
1973	Mary S. Coleman Becomes the First Woman to Sit on the Michigan Supreme Court.
1982	Dorothy Comstock Riley Becomes the First Justice of Hispanic Descent to Sit on the Court.
1988	Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society Founded by Chief Justice Dorothy Comstock Riley.
1997	Michigan Becomes the Second State in History, Following Minnesota, to Have a Female Majority on the Supreme Court (The Majority Lasted Only Nine Months).
1997	Conrad L. Mallett, Jr. Becomes the First African-American to Serve as Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.