Clifford Taylor
Encyclopedia
Clifford "Cliff" Taylor was Chief Justice
of the Michigan Supreme Court
from 2005 through 2009.
Taylor was appointed to the court in 1997 by then-Governor John Engler
, ran for election to the balance of the appointed term in 1998 and was reelected in 2000. He was chosen by his fellow justices to be the Chief Justice twice, in 2005 and 2007. One of his opponents in 1998 was Matthew R. Abel, nominated by the Reform Party of Michigan. Abel used the campaign to protest Taylor's conflict of interest with his wife's position in the State Executive Branch as Legal Advisor to the Governor. Abel also demanded that Taylor resign.
Taylor is a graduate of the University of Michigan
and The George Washington University, and lives near Lansing with his wife of 39 years, Lucille Taylor, and his two sons. While attending Michigan, he was initiated as a brother of Sigma Zeta of Lambda Chi Alpha
fraternity. He served as President of the Michigan Interfraternity Council in 1963, leading a landmark policy change which gave fraternities judicial autonomy from the University.
Wayne County Circuit Judge Diane Marie Hathaway defeated Justice Taylor in the 2008 Supreme Court election. The Michigan Campaign FInance Network estimates that over six million dollars were spent on the campaign, including so-called unregulated "issue ads."
Taylor's tenure was marked by complaints about conflicts of interest due to the campaign finance system.
After Taylor's defeat in the election, the Court chose the more liberal Marilyn Jean Kelly
as his successor.
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Michigan Supreme Court
Michigan Supreme Court
The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is known as Michigan's "court of last resort" and consists of seven justices who are elected to eight-year terms. Candidates are nominated by political parties and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot...
from 2005 through 2009.
Taylor was appointed to the court in 1997 by then-Governor John Engler
John Engler
John Mathias Engler is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He served as the 46th Governor of Michigan from 1991 to 2003....
, ran for election to the balance of the appointed term in 1998 and was reelected in 2000. He was chosen by his fellow justices to be the Chief Justice twice, in 2005 and 2007. One of his opponents in 1998 was Matthew R. Abel, nominated by the Reform Party of Michigan. Abel used the campaign to protest Taylor's conflict of interest with his wife's position in the State Executive Branch as Legal Advisor to the Governor. Abel also demanded that Taylor resign.
Taylor is a graduate of the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and The George Washington University, and lives near Lansing with his wife of 39 years, Lucille Taylor, and his two sons. While attending Michigan, he was initiated as a brother of Sigma Zeta of Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
fraternity. He served as President of the Michigan Interfraternity Council in 1963, leading a landmark policy change which gave fraternities judicial autonomy from the University.
Wayne County Circuit Judge Diane Marie Hathaway defeated Justice Taylor in the 2008 Supreme Court election. The Michigan Campaign FInance Network estimates that over six million dollars were spent on the campaign, including so-called unregulated "issue ads."
Taylor's tenure was marked by complaints about conflicts of interest due to the campaign finance system.
After Taylor's defeat in the election, the Court chose the more liberal Marilyn Jean Kelly
Marilyn Jean Kelly
Marilyn Jean Kelly is a jurist in the U.S. state of Michigan. Mrs. Kelly is serving her second term in office as a Justice on the Michigan Supreme Court...
as his successor.