The Michigan Supreme Court has issued an order authorizing the Judicial Tenure Commission to disclose confidential and privileged information to complete the independent audit requested by the Association of Black Judges of Michigan (ABJM).

The action comes after ABJM expressed concern in 2023 about the racial composition of the commission’s public complaints. The group pointed out that five of nine public complaints the commission has brought against judges since 2016 have been against African-American judges.

“The court speaks through its orders,” said Michigan Supreme Court spokesman John Nevin told the Advance on Tuesday. 

The MJTC was created by the Michigan constitution to address the public’s concerns about the ethical conduct of Michigan’s judges and to ensure that Michigan’s judges meet the public’s expectations for ethical behavior. The commission consists of nine volunteers – four elected by judges, three elected by the State Bar of Michigan, and two laypersons appointed by the governor.

Curtis Bell, ABJM president and a Kalamazoo County Probate Court judge, applauded the court’s action.  

“ABJM’s request for an independent audit did not come as a surprise to the leadership of the commission as our executive board met with executive director Lynn Helland over a year ago and informed him of ABJM’s plans to make this request of the state’s highest court in hopes that the commission would join the ABJM in the search of transparency. The recent order of the Michigan Supreme Court was a necessary and historic step towards that transparency,” said Bell.