9/14/04

The Michigan Judicial Conference is sponsoring a Supreme Court Candidate Forum on Friday, October 1, 2004 at the Lansing Center during the State Bar Annual Meeting. The forum will take place in Room 102 from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

The two incumbents in this year's Michigan Supreme Court elections, Justices Marilyn Kelly and Stephen Markman, and challengers Leonard Schwartz and Judge Deborah Thomas have also confirmed that they will be participating. Five candidates are running for two positions. Supreme Court justices are elected to eight-year terms.

The forum format provides for individual presentations of up to 15 minutes, a break after the presentations, and a question and answer session. Questions will be submitted in writing over the break and handed to a moderator who will present the questions to the panel. Questions from the floor may be allowed if time is available.

As part of their individual presentation, the candidates will address common themes on topics of particular interest to the Judicial Conference, such as judicial philosophy, perspectives on judicial independence, and the role of the judiciary in relationship to the executive and legislative branches.

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