Gov. Snyder Picks Kurtis Wilder for New Supreme Court Justice

Wilder will replace Justice Robert Young who retired from the court in April.

Gov. Rick Snyder has chosen the newest member of the Michigan Supreme Court.

Judge Kurtis Wilder will replace Justice Robert Young who retired from the court in April to return to his former law firm, Dickenson Wright.

Wilder is a former Chief Judge of the Washtenaw County Trial Court. He currently serves on the state Court of Appeals.

Gov. Snyder said Wilder has already done great work to help the state.

“I think we’ve been privileged to have the best court in the United States with the Supreme Court that we’ve had. But we can always enhance that,” Snyder said. “So I view this as an opportunity to continue that path and have a great person join the court.”

Wilder says he would be a rule of law justice.

“I’m going to continue to be dedicated and devoted to a fair and reasonable interpretation of all the litigation that comes before me,” he said. “Each statute, each constitutional provision.”

This is the first of a couple appointments Snyder has to make in the coming weeks. He will likely appoint a fifth justice soon as Justice Joan Larson heads to the Sixth Circuit Court pending U.S. Senate confirmation.

Author

  • Cheyna Roth
    Cheyna has interned with Michigan Radio and freelanced for WKAR public radio in Lansing. She's also done some online freelancing and worked on documentary films.