Elizabeth A. Weaver, Justice Elizabeth A. Weaver Papers, 1959, 2018, and undated

Summary

Creator:

Weaver, Elizabeth A.

Abstract:

Justice Weaver’s papers, 1959, 2014, and undated, are the only complete records documenting the inner-workings of a Michigan Supreme Court Justice in a public archive. The collection includes multiple series listed below.

Extent:

144.5 cubic ft. (in 287 boxes, 11 Oversized Folders, 1 Oversized framed portrait)

Language:

English

Authors:

Collection processed and finding aid created by J. Bentley, S. Albinhamad, C. Olson, C. Riggs, B. Schamber, J. Lincoln, B. Davis, L. Rogers, A. Dean, C. Niehaus, M. Watts, E. Moran, Marian Matyn. The collection was critically inventoried by G. Richard prior to processing.

Background

Scope and Content:

Justice Weaver’s papers are the only complete records documenting the inner-workings of a Michigan Supreme Court Justice in a public archive. These records are invaluable for documenting the process of how justices reach opinions about cases (a process kept secret until now). The papers also document the career and the increasingly negative relationships she experienced while a Michigan Supreme Court Justice. Justice Weaver documented all these main points very well and wanted her papers preserved and studied.

Series 1, processed by Jennifer Bentley, is the Court of Appeals series, 1984-1995, 21.5 cubic feet (in 44 boxes), within the Weaver Papers, includes court documentation and court publications created by Justice Weaver during her time as an Appellate Justice for the Michigan Supreme Court. Some boxes within the series share overlapping series content with other series in the collection. The entirety of the series is comprised of legal manuscripts and court publications, as well as personal notes within docket packets that Justice Weaver used to form later legal opinions for several cases. Many of the manuscripts within the Court of Appeals series are legal-size with half of the collection in letter-size formats.

For the bulk of this series each court case handled by Justice Weaver’s office is stapled in its own docket. Each Docket consistently includes: case syllabus, orders from lower courts, per curiam (unanimous agreements between the justices), case notes, and court generated summaries of the case. Occasionally, in more notable case dockets, court transcripts are also included.

Besides court dockets there are corresponding case call notes for each case. All newspaper clippings have been copied. Also within this series there are Michigan Supreme Court rotation schedules for the justices. Memorandums between court officials and the justices appear throughout the case call notes as well as within the dockets. Within the Court of Appeals series, there are two mini cassette tapes labeled as “case notes”.

Throughout the entire Justice Weaver collection there are Post-it notes with hand-written notes by Weaver. A few pages exhibiting the plethora of extant notes taken on a case have been preserved in-situ to illustrate Weaver’s growing dissent over her sixteen-year career with Michigan’s Supreme Court. All other substantive notes have been copied and then the originals were withdrawn from the collection.

Series 1 Processing Note: As noted above, all newspaper clippings have been copied. A few pages exhibiting the plethora of extant notes taken on a case have been preserved in-situ to illustrate Weaver’s growing dissent over her sixteen-year career with Michigan’s Supreme Court. All other substantive notes have been copied and then the originals were withdrawn from the collection. Less than .25 cubic foot of this series was withdrawn during processing.

Series 2, processed by Sulaiman Albinhamad, is the Per Curiam series. Per Curiam is defined as a decision (or opinion) ruling issued by an appellate court of multiple judges in which the decision rendered is made by the court or at least a majority of the court acting collectively and unanimously. Per Curiam is Latin for “by the Court”. Per Curiam rulings are issued in the name of the Court, rather than by individual judges or a judge. Typically, the Court deals with issues deemed non-controversial.

The Per Curiam series, 1995-2006, 14 cubic feet (in 28 boxes) within the Justice Elizabeth Weaver collection, includes personal unpublished notes of Justice Weaver and others during her time as Justice (January 1995- August 2010) and Chief Justice (January 1999-January 2001) for the Michigan Supreme Court. The manuscripts within this series are both letter-size and legal-size, but are filed in legal-size folders and boxes to keep related materials together. Per Curiam cases in this series include a range from civil cases to murders.

Each Per Curiam case folder usually includes (in this order): case Syllabus (which is blue in color); Order; Notes from meetings to review the material organized by date, either weekly or monthly, or from Justice Weaver to her staff; Memorandum; and Reports (which are green in color). Drafts and final versions of the Per Curiam are included.

There may be one to three different docket numbers in the same Per Curiam case folder/s. Some folders have materials, each with a different docket number, but the numbers are cited in the related Memorandum.

Series 2 Processing Note: .75 cubic foot of materials were removed from the series during processing, mostly duplicates and peripheral or reading materials not specific to the files.

Series 3 and 4 in this collection are Disqualifications of Judges, 1995-2009, and undated, and Fieger Articles and Dockets, 1994-2009, and undated, which originally were somewhat interfiled, were both also processed by Sulaiman Albinhamad

Disqualifications of Judges (DQs), 1995-2009, and undated, 2 cubic ft. (in 4 boxes), includes Administrative Memorandum, Administrative Orders, articles, case examples, dissents, notes, resolutions, and folders on specific judges.

Fieger Articles and Dockets, 1994-2009, and undated, 1.75 cubic ft. (in 4 boxes), includes articles (copies) about Attorney Geoffrey Fieger and information from Dockets cases in which he was involved or justices were biased against him. In court, Feiger pushed the limits of what was considered appropriate behavior and language by attorneys, which led to questions about which justices should be disqualified or recuse themselves from judging him or other attorneys and why. The rules for disqualification of justices were not written down or encoded, and when Judge Weaver pushed for that to happen, the other justices, after much discussion and writing, eventually all sided against her.

Geoffrey Nels Feiger (1950-) is a controversial American attorney based in Southfield, Michigan. His law practice focuses on personal injury, civil rights litigation and medical malpractice cases, but he is best known as Jack Kevorkian’s defense attorney in doctor-assisted suicide trials. He also ran unsuccessfully as a Democratic nominee for governor of Michigan in 1998.

During most of this time period, Elizabeth Weaver served as a Michigan Supreme Court Justice, 1995-2010. She served on the Michigan Court of Appeals, January 1987-January 1995.

(This information is from the collection and a Wikipedia article accessed May 11, 2017 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Fieger.)

Series 3 and 4 Processing Note: 4 cubic feet of copies and peripheral materials were withdrawn during processing.

Series 5, processed by Cassie Olson, is Michigan Supreme Court Campaign Materials, 1990, 1995 and undated,.75 cubic ft. (in 2 boxes), includes campaign materials such as: application materials, financial reports, speeches, endorsements, letters, itineraries, events, media plans, bumper stickers, Court of Appeal cases relevant to her campaign for the Michigan Supreme Court, and other, related materials.

This series documents Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s first campaign for the Michigan Supreme Court while serving as a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals. Items of note include her decisions on Court of Appeals cases relevant to her campaign for Michigan Supreme Court, including Plummer v. Bechtel, Pulver v. Dundee Cement Company, Rodriguez v. General Motors Saginaw Steering Gear Division, Dedes v. South Lyon Community Schools, Paschke v. Retool Industries, and Chase v. Sabin. Weaver sought and received many unique endorsements from businesses, organizations and individuals such as Governor John Engler, Michigan State Medical Society, Michigan Police Legislative Coalition, National Black Women’s Caucus, the Korean Medical Association of Michigan and the Polish American Conference. Weaver ignored any materials sent by one organization – the Michigan Human Rights Campaign Committee – which supported lesbian and gay-friendly candidates.

Because this was the first year of her Supreme Court campaign and reelection materials, a sample of these materials was retained that will not be retained in the future, including sample ballots, acidic materials, event invitations, and sample letters.

Series 5 Processing Note: 8 cubic feet of copies, sensitive, and peripheral materials were withdrawn during processing. All acidic materials were copied and the copies were added to the collection.

Series 6, processed by Courtney Riggs, is the Hall of Justice Materials, 1997-2010, and undated, 4 cubic ft. (in 3 boxes, 1 Oversized folder) includes: newspaper articles, newsletters, financial reports, speeches, floor plans, dedication ceremony invitations, a plastic hard hat, and other, related materials.

This series documents Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s role in the planning of the Hall of Justice. Also included are her contributions to the Learning Center located in the Hall. Items of note include a personal note from Mary Stallings Coleman (1914-2001), the first woman elected to the Michigan Supreme Court, and a private conversation note containing information about a meeting that continued after Weaver left the room. Weaver, as Chief Justice from 1999 to 2001, oversaw the Advisory Committee and contributed to the Hall planning via floor plan changes, interior designs, etc. As The Learning Center was Justice Weaver’s idea, she oversaw these decisions with this as well (Box 1, folder 4). Albert Kahn Associates was the architecture firm and a variety of their architectural drawings are found in Oversided Folder 1.

Groundbreaking for the Hall occurred in 1999, in which Weaver participated by breaking ground and presenting a speech. When the Hall was completed in 2002, each Justice had the chance to prepare a letter to be placed into a time capsule. Although Weaver may have contributed greatly to the Hall, it seems that most of the other Justices did not approve of her involvement. The aforementioned side meeting and the unsuccessful attempt to name the Learning Center after her are indications of differences of opinion and perhaps a power struggle.

Series 6 Processing Note: 1 cubic foot of copies, reading materials, and peripheral materials was withdrawn during processing. Acidic newspaper clippings were copied and the copies were added to the collection.

Series 7, processed by Courtney Riggs, contains Brady v Attorney Grievance Commission (AGC) Materials, 2006 - 2010 and undated, .75 cubic ft. (in 2 boxes), including: case notes, a cassette, legal findings, a microcassette, news articles copies, a press release draft, and other, related materials.

This series documents Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s involvement in the Brady v AGC case. Also included are documents describing AO 2006-8, or what Weaver refers to as a “Gag Order” directed towards her, and information about the escalating tensions between the Justices. Items of note include Weaver’s notes on the Justices’ attitudes towards her (Box 1, folder 7) and the document indicating Justices Markman, Corrigan, and Young were against her (Box 1, folder 2).

The Brady v AGC case involves Paul Fischer, then Executive Director of the Judicial Tenure Commission, accusing Judge Steven Servaas of forfeiting his role as judge due to the moving of his office and inappropriate behavior towards staff. Brady, head lawyer on the case, represented Servaas. Weaver would ultimately disqualified herself on the case due to her disclosing information to her lawyer, who was also working on the case.

Also included is the Third Judicial Circuit Appeals Case. The impact of this case documents the split between Weaver and the rest of the Justices. Weaver was then found in contempt of court rules. It also documents the actions of Justice Mary Beth Kelly, who later served as Chief Justice for the 2009 – 2010 term. Included is a cassette documenting Justice Mary Kelly’s concerns and a microcassette of Justice Diane Hathaway’s conversation, most likely with Weaver herself. Of note are news articles regarding Justice Robert Young and a transcription of his racist comment (Box 2, folder 5).

It is unknown to the Archivist after processing (in 2018) why Justice Weaver talked to the lawyer. In Box 1, folder 7, there is indication that Weaver forgot the case was still open. Referencing Weaver’s book indicates that the other Justices wanted to get Weaver into trouble. In fact, Justice Weaver was advised to turn herself in to the Judicial Tenure Commission (Box 1, folder 2).

Justice Weaver’s book, Judicial Deceit: Tyranny and Unnecessary Secrecy at the Michigan Supreme Court, pages 648 – 656 was referenced for background information about AO-2006 and the Brady case.

Series 7 Processing Note: 1 cubic foot of copies and peripheral materials was withdrawn during processing. All acidic materials were copied and the copies were added to the collection.

Series 8, processed by Courtney Riggs, Wayne County v. Hathcock Materials, 2003-2005, .25 cubic foot (in 1 box) includes: a reference book, agendas, memorandums, news articles, notes, opinions and other, related materials.

This series documents Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s involvement in the Wayne v Hathcock County case. This case would come to overrule the 1972 case of Poletown Neighborhood Council v. City of Detroit, in which General Motors was allowed to take land from private owners. While Weaver initially agreed with the other Justices, she later changed her opinion, causing tension between Justices. The reference book included in the collection references what the Wayne County v Hathcock decision means to the public.

Series 8 Processing Note: .5 cubic foot (.5) of copies and peripheral materials was withdrawn during processing.

Series 9, processed by Courtney Riggs, Pellegrino v Ampco Materials, 2007-2010, undated, 1 cubic foot (in 2 boxes) includes: appeals, case notes, legal findings, and other, related materials.

This series documents Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s involvement in the Pellegrino v Ampco Systems case. Also included are documents describing the rules to disqualifying Justices from cases and information about the escalating tensions between the Justices. The Pellegrino case itself involves Anthony and Shirley Pellegrino’s involvement in a car accident driven by an Ampco employee. Shirley died in the crash, while Anthony was severely injured.

During the trial, Fieger represented Pellegrino. Fieger thought that Ampco should not be able to change jurors and thus, a Baston Challenge was called. Legally, the definition of a Baston Challenge is “an objection to the validity of a peremptory challenge, on grounds that the other party used it to exclude a potential juror based on race, ethnicity, or sex” (https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/batson_challenge). The Challenge resulted in the Justices questioning if the Judge should be turned into the Judicial Tenure Commission. While most of the Justices agreed, Weaver dissented to this, as well as to the idea of disqualifying judges. Weaver’s actions, and that of the other Justices, resulted in high tensions.

Processing Note: .5 cubic foot of copies and peripheral materials was withdrawn during processing. All acidic materials were copied and the copies were added to the collection.

Series 10, processed by Courtney Riggs, Speeches, 1975-2010, undated, .75 cubic foot (in 2 boxes) includes: speeches in paper, CDs, and microcassette (if no paper speech copy was available), information about Weaver’s Central Michigan University (CMU) courses she taught and other, related materials.

This series documents Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s Speeches from 1975 to 2010. Enclosed are her speech duties as a Justice, which include performing investitures and swearing in other legal officials (Box 1, Folder 6). Weaver also gave such speeches as Court House Dedications, Boy Scouts, and special events, like the 100th Anniversary of the Juvenile Court (Box 1, Folder 3). Weaver also performed marriages during her career.

One Court House dedication Weaver performed was the Isabella County Courthouse Dedication Ceremony, which took place on September 6th, 2000 (Box 1, Folder 5).

Weaver taught two classes, Educational Administration: Introduction to School Law and Elementary Education/ Secondary Education: Law for Teachers, for CMU Off Campus extension courses (Box 2, Folder 4). These classes took place in Traverse City.

A list of copyrighted interviews with or coverage about Justice Weaver is included in the back of Box 92, Speeches, August 2002 – 2005, folder. These CDs or DVDs were withdrawn from the collection due to copyright issues.

Processing Note: 7 cubic feet of copies, correspondence, drafts, floppy disks, memorandums, microcassettes (if paper speech was available), and peripheral materials was withdrawn during processing.

Series 11, processed by Jonathan Strom, Trial Court Assessment Commission (TCAC), 1993, 1999, undated, 1 cubic foot (in 2 boxes) includes: Meeting minutes of the commission and its subcommittees, correspondence between commission members and various people related to TCAC’s mission, reports generated and /or used by the commission, memorandums, and other related material.

This series documents Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s involvement in TCAC as Chairman. It exhibits how the commission function, how they developed and executed their plan of trial court reform, and how they managed blowback from the legal community. Portions of this series which may be of particular interest are: data generated by the commission’s assessment, and documents related to the demonstration projects that included Barry, Berrien, Isabella, Lake, Washtenaw counties and the 46th Circuit Court. TCAC formed in 1997 to assess the status of trial courts in Michigan and to recommend a solution to streamline the process. They were dissolved in December of 1998 after conducting multiple studies and experiments.

Processing Note: 3 cubic feet of copies, blanks, drafts, trivial correspondence, job applications, and peripheral materials were withdrawn during processing.

Series 12, processed by Brian Schamber, Probate Court and Leelanau Materials, 1974-1990, and undated, 4.5 cubic ft. (in 9 boxes, 1 Oversized folder) includes: newspaper articles, publications, financial reports, cassette tapes, a county flag, correspondence, surveys, and other, related materials. All boxes in this series are Legal-sized boxes.

This series documents Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s time as the probate judge of Leelanau County, her service on the Committee for Juvenile Justice (CJJ), her controversial stance on jailing juveniles (Jailing, Box 97), and her dispute with some members of the county board of commissioners (Yarger Dispute, Boxes 102-103). CJJ meeting folders may contain the following: meeting minutes, charts related to the meeting, and other documents received at the meetings. This series also contains correspondences between other judges, a letter of recommendation from former Michigan Governor and Supreme Court Justice G. Mennen “Soapy” Williams, promotional and campaign materials, publications, mortgage and land dispute cases. A bicentennial flag, which measures 57x 35 inches made by the Spartan Flag Co. of Northport Mi. and bears the county seal of Leelanau County on a blue background, is stored in an oversized folder.

Within the Probate Court Series, is the Leelanau School subseries, which holds documents from Judge Weaver’s time as a board member for the Leelanau School, a private Christian Science school on the Crystal River. Documents in this series cover board meetings, correspondence from headmasters and Congressman Vander Jagt, legal paper work regarding property boundaries, and promotional materials related to the school.

Processing Note: 20 cubic feet of copies, reading materials, and peripheral materials was withdrawn during processing. Acidic newspaper clippings were copied and the copies were added to the collection. One publication was separately cataloged.

Series 13, processed by Ashley Blackburn, Court Reform Materials, 1975-2009, and undated, 6 cubic feet (in 12 boxes) includes: judicial reform documents, trial court reform documents, county court documents, meeting minutes, agendas, correspondence among the Justices, judge recommendations, Court of Appeals documents, media reports, business cards, legal notes, resolutions, newspaper clippings (copies), Demonstration Project documents, Justice Weaver’s notes on bills, and other related materials.

This series documents one of Justice Elizabeth Weaver’s most important platforms: court reform. Included in materials are recommendations on how all Michigan courts should be structured, run, and budgeted and how all judges and Justices should obtain office and behave while in office. Materials show Justice Weaver’s firm point of view on the subject and how other Justice’s communicated with her on the subject of court reform, and how the subject of court reform impacted her role in the courts. Some boxes include dissent documents and related communications among many of her fellow Justices. Many of the boxes also include documents showing support from the community and Justice Weaver’s contemporaries in the courts for her firm stance on Court Reform. Many of the boxes contain media relations, such as news articles showing positive or negative press on the topic of court reform or Justice Weaver herself.

In Box 104, AAUW stands for the American Association of University Women. In 1976, Irene Brown was the Grand Travers Area Representative on the State Board of AAUW. Michigan State Representatives H. Lynn Jondahl and Dennis O. Cawthorne are mentioned. Ingham County Probate Judge Donald S. Owens, who later went on to serve in the Michigan Court of Appeals (2000-2016), is corresponded with. There is also correspondence with Wayne County Juvenile Judge Gladys Barsamian who served in the court from 1975-1993; she died in January 2016.

Box 109 includes information on the Demonstration Projects, sometimes abbreviated Demo, in Michigan Courts. These projects, many of which were led by Justice Weaver, involve restructuring and merging county courts, including probate, trial, district, and circuit courts.

Boxes 111 and 112 mention State Representative Michael (Mike) Nye. Nye also served as a judge for the 30th Probate Court in Hillsdale County. In 1995, during his time as a state representative, Nye introduced House Bill 5158 which dealt with court restructuring and funding. Nye retired in 2012.

In Box 112, MACC stands for Michigan Association of County Clerks.

Box 115 also includes a few multimedia DVDs which record Justice Weaver speaking on the subject of Court Reform to the state of Michigan and a Michigan women’s group. These DVD’s must be played in VLC Media Player. Box 115 also includes an article referencing Senator Barack Obama. A few folders in Box 115 have specific mention of Central Michigan University (CMU) Professor James P. Hill and general Isabella County information.

All the boxes in this series are .5 legal-size cubic foot boxes. 12 boxes, 6 cubic feet in total.

Processing note: At least 5 cubic feet of material was withdrawn from the collection. Not all acidic materials were kept; news clippings that were kept were photocopied and added to the collection. The majority of the acidic items were newspaper articles. Some sticky notes were also photocopied and added into the collection; the rest were withdrawn. At least five items (publications and multimedia) were separately cataloged. Box 1 and Box 2 were processed by Brian Schamber (originally under Probate Courts), therefore the folder descriptions and look vary from the rest of the series.

Series 14, processed by Courtney Riggs, Orals, 1991-2010, and undated, 40.5 cubic feet (in 82 boxes) includes: case notes, legal findings, memorandums, morning reports, pre-orals, orals, orders, supporting constituent correspondence, syllabuses and other, related materials.

This series documents the Supreme Court cases for which the Justices required Orals. Also included are documents describing how the Court reached certain decisions. Such cases include; the People v Budzyn, (102654/102655), in which a black man was killed by a white police officer, and In Re Hon William Runco (113567), which was the first time the Supreme Court became involved in a Judicial Tenure Commission (JTC) case.

Orals is the final step in the process of Michigan Supreme Court case review. First, the Justices decide if a case should be reviewed at all. Then, a case might require a Justice to review or research the case. Next, the Justice may require the lawyers to specifically address one or a few points (mini orals). If the Justices have many or various points to review, the case requires Orals, or presentations by lawyers for the case.

The process for Orals is complex. First, Weaver’s law clerks wrote up a Pre-Oral for her to read about the case. These law clerks include Susan Grace Davis, Graham Bateman, Stephanie, Angela Verner, and Elizabeth Bagley Roth. After the Pre-Oral, Justices hear the case for thirty minutes (Orals). Afterwards, a Justice wrote an opinion. The draft was then circulated to the other Justices. The Justices then edited and revised certain phrases to make it legally correct. If the other Justices did not agree, they wrote up a dissenting opinion or their own opinion. The Justices then decided whom they agreed with and a majority/minority was established. A Justice could also concur in part, and dissent in other parts. “I release my string” is a common phrase used to establish when a Justice threw out their own opinion, as there could only be one majority opinion.

“LIG” is another term used on the Supreme Court. This means leave to appeal improvidently granted, in which the Court believes the case was allowed to be appealed when it should not have been (as explained by CMU Emeritus Professor Joyce Baugh in an email to the Archivist, February 2018).

Abeyance is also a term used by the Supreme Court. According to Black’s Law Dictionary, this means “a state of temporary disuse or suspension.”

Justices made history by hearing an oral argument at the Lapeer County Courthouse in 2007. Completed in 1846, it is the oldest Michigan courthouse still in operation. The plan was to continue this tradition at various courthouses in the upcoming years, but this seemingly has not come into fruition. This is documented in Box #60.

Processing note: 40.5 cubic feet of copies, drafts, and peripheral materials was withdrawn during processing. All acidic materials were copied and the copies were added to the collection. 5 cubic feet of Orals VHS tapes and DVDs are separately cataloged.

Series 15, processed by Brian Schamber, Crystal River Materials, 1975-2005 (Scattered), and undated, 1.5 cubic feet (in 3 boxes) includes: correspondence, constituent letters, a DNR packet, EPA documents, zoning ordinance, directories, reports, newspaper clippings(copies), meeting minutes, circuit court case materials, memorandum, a VHS videotape, water level reports, plat map and a survey sketch

This series documents documents environmental issues in the Crystal River and Glen Lake, Michigan area. Of particular interest are documents related to the Homestead golf course development project (all boxes) which contain correspondence surveys from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior, and Bill Ford (William Clay Ford, Jr.) and the Friends of Crystal River, a local grassroots environmental organization. The collection also documents a law suit related to water level control between Leelanau County and the Glen Lake-Crystal River Watershed Riparians verses the Glen Lake Association. Continued by Series 26.

Processing note: 1.5 cubic feet of peripheral materials, duplicates, copies, in several formats were withdrawn.

Series 16, processed by JoAnna Lincoln and Cassie Olson, Mini-Orals (MOAAs or Mini-Oral Argument on the Application), 2002-2010 and undated, 11.75 cubic feet (in 24 boxes) includes: case notes, legal findings, memorandums, orders, transcripts, supporting constituent correspondence, syllabuses and other, related materials.

This series documents the Supreme Court cases for which the Justices required Mini-Orals to determine if the case should be tried in the Supreme Court. Also included are documents describing how the Court reached certain decisions.

The Mini-Oral Argument on the Application, or MOAA, gives the Court an opportunity to explore the issues involved in the case without the full briefing and submission that follows a leave to appeal. Many times, the Court orders a MOAA to discuss more specific issues before elevating it to a full oral argument.

Each MOAA case included some variation of the following materials: memorandum opinion, orders, a syllabus, memorandums, applications, motions, supplemental reports, Weaver’s notes, conference agendas, a transcript, and photographs.

Some of these cases include; MOAA Docket 127292 wherein a baby was either thrown or fell accidentally out of a window, MOAA Docket 133988 wherein a woman crossing the street was hit by a police car, and Docket 135247 in which the MOAA was held at the Barry County Historical Courthouse with high school students present for educational purposes. In her notes, Weaver expressed her opinion that Docket 135247 was the worst MOAA they had ever heard.

Orals is the final step in the process of Michigan Supreme Court case review. First, the Justices decide if a case should be reviewed at all. Then, a case might require a Justice to review or research the case. Next, the Justice may require the lawyers to specifically address one or a few points (mini orals). If the Justices have many or various points to review, the case requires Orals, or presentations by lawyers for the case. For more information on Orals, see the finding aid for Orals.

Processing Note: 7.5 cubic feet of copies, miscellaneous agendas and notes, drafts, and peripheral materials were withdrawn during processing.

Series 17, processed by JoAnna Lincoln, Reference Materials, 1985-2010, and undated, 1 cubic foot (in 2 boxes) includes: various reports and publications by the courts for the state of Michigan, audits, forums, essays, materials for events Weaver attended, legal documents investigating Weaver and other justices for judicial malpractice, personal correspondence, correspondence from constituents with strong feelings, materials from organizations Weaver was involved with, and Weaver’s personal membership cards.

Processing Note: Ten feet of materials including duplicates, newspaper clippings, empty envelopes, advertisements, court orders, sticky notes, reference materials, floppy disks, FYIs, and peripheral materials were removed from the collection during processing. 19 items were separately cataloged.

Series 18, processed by Nikki Brabaw, Campaigns Material, 1974-2010, and undated, 2.5 cubic feet (in 5 boxes) includes: Materials relate to the various campaigns and elections Weaver ran for – Probate Court in 1974, Court of Appeals in 1986 and 1992, Michigan Supreme Court Justice in 1995 and 2002, and her appointment to Chief Justice in 1999. This series also documents Justice Weaver’s initial resignation from Supreme Court in 2005 that she later revoked, her campaign for a third term as Justice in 2010, that she revoked, and her official resignation in 2010. Justice Weaver’s attempts to reveal to the public the corruption of the other Michigan Supreme Court Justices are somewhat displayed in this collection, and the backlash she received from other justices that ultimately led to an investigation into her conduct as a justice and her later, forced, resignation. This series also documents that Justice Weaver legally changed her name from Betty to Elizabeth to help avoid confusion when the public assumed her full name was Elizabeth. Also included is the page from Corp! Magazine in which Weaver was named one of the top 95 most powerful women in Michigan in 2002. Along with Justice Weaver’s campaigns, this series also includes the other judges and politicians that she endorsed and supported during their campaigns and when she was not back up for election. The last box of this series also includes three-dimensional objects – two hats and one paper weight. Researchers may also be interested in Series 5 of this collection which covers 1990, 1995 and undated materials .75 cubic feet (2 boxes), of Weaver’s first run for Michigan Supreme Court. Researchers may also note that there are only three items in one folder pertaining to Weaver’s 1992 campaign for Court of Appeals. An exhaustive, unsuccessful search was completed to find additional materials.

Processing Note: Approximately 22.25 cubic feet of materials including duplicates, newspaper clippings, empty envelopes, post-it notes, reference materials, floppy disks, miscellaneous financials, miscellaneous notes, letters addressed to Weaver that have no response, miscellaneous cassette tapes, acidic paper, event invitations that Weaver did not attend, receipts, agendas and calendars, miscellaneous office supplies, unsupported CDs, and peripheral materials were removed from the series during processing. Cassette tapes of radio interviews with Justice Weaver in which she openly discussed the wrongdoings of the other Justices, and how she felt the court system should change, were also withdrawn due to their content. Twenty-nine photographs were removed from this series and interfiled with the other general photographs in the collection. Also withdrawn was a card from Nancy (who worked for Weaver) in which an actual flower was pressed insecurely into the front and was breaking off into the rest of the series. Researchers may also note that special attention was given to any materials from Justice Weaver’s first run for Michigan Supreme Court in 1994, Hall of Justice documents and speeches. A few of these items were found in this series and were appropriate interfiled. Thirty-four items were separately cataloged and twenty-one additional items were added to the Michigan Vertical Files.

Series 19, processed by Brad Davis, 46th District Court Docket No. 128878 materials, 2004-2006, 2018, and undated, 2.25 cubic ft. (in 5 boxes) includes: case overview, appendices, application to leave for appeal, and sealed exhibitions.

This series documents the suppressed case of the 46th Circuit Trial Court v. Crawford County. The Trial Court’s predecessor, the 46th Circuit Court, was the circuit court servicing Otsego, Crawford, and Kalkaska counties. There was a plan to evaluate the feasibility of consolidating various court functions into a single entity known as the 46th Trial Court.

In order to facilitate this consolidation, the Trial Court began a large-scale administrative reorganization for the purpose of standardizing wages, benefits, and personnel policies in 2004. During the reorganization, the Chief Judge requested that his employees switch to less-favorable prescription drug and health insurance plans and that they relinquish longevity plans for an enhanced employee pension plan funded by the counties. The Chief Judge presented his enhanced benefits plan to the Tri-County Committee, and subsequently to each county’s board of commission. The resolution was passed by the Otsego and Kalkaska county boards.

The Crawford County board refused to sign the contract because the board’s concern regarding the prospect of a sizeable unfunded liability, led to the District Court’s involvement. In 2004, Crawford County refused to pay its share of the costs of the enhanced benefit plans. In 2005, Kalkaska County Board of Commissioners rescinded its resolution on the basis of the concerns raised by Crawford County. Otsego County proceeded to fund the entire cost of the enhanced benefits plan without reimbursement from the other funding units.

Application for leave to appeal was answered in 2005. A major issue in the case was that Judge Davis tried inappropriately to impose his plan on the counties without the commissioner’s approval, super-ceding his authority. The case was decided in 2006, and later suppressed. The 46th District Court is now the 46th Circuit Court. (Information taken from the Case Overview provided in the collection.)

Processing Note: Nothing from the collection was withdrawn during processing.

Series 20, processed by Brad Davis, Reform Michigan Government Now Materials, 2008, .25 cubic ft. (in 1 box), includes: orders from the court, news articles, and memoranda.

This series documents the suppressed case of the 46th Circuit Trial Court v. Crawford County. The Trial Court’s predecessor, the 46th Circuit Court, was the circuit court servicing Otsego, Crawford, and Kalkaska counties. There was a plan to evaluate the feasibility of consolidating various court functions into a single entity known as the 46th Trial Court.

This series documents the decision o f the courts on a proposed amendment to the Michigan constitution to be included on the ballot during the 2008 presidential election. Reform Michigan Government sought to amend the Michigan constitution to completely reform the Michigan courts by increasing the number of local judges and decreasing the number of Michigan Supreme Court Justices from seven to five. The proposed amendment became a topic of controversy between Michigan Democrats and Republicans.

72% of Michigan voters eventually favored the amendment. However, the proposal also encountered opposition, most notably among the Michigan Republican Party, which launched a campaign to stop the proposed amendment from being placed on the ballot in November 2008. The argument between supporters and the opposition to the amendment led to the proposal reaching the Michigan Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals ruled that the amendment was unconstitutional, causing a greater controversy.

The ruling by the Court of Appeals was challenged and the case was brought to the Michigan Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the lower court, leaving the proposed amendment off the ballot in the November election. (Video recordings of the oral arguments for this case are separately catalogued.)

Processing Note: .25 cubic ft. of material outside the scope of the collection were withdrawn during processing.

Series 21, processed by Lindsey Rogers, Macomb County Probate Court (MCPC) Materials, 1999-2009, .5 cubic foot (in 1 box), includes: correspondence, supporting documents (memorandums, emails, and statements from members of the court and the public) concerning the investigation of the behavior of MCPC judges.

This series was created due to apparent negligence on the behalf of certain judges on the MCPC. Justice Weaver became involved after an article appeared in the newspaper, which detailed the ongoing issues between Judge Pamela Gilbert O’Sullivan and then-Chief Judge Kathryn George. The series centers on several mishandled cases and issues surrounding the Addams Guardianship Services. These issues affected Justice Weaver’s personal life and her position on the Michigan Supreme Court.

Of particular note is Justice Weaver’s rapidly deteriorating friendship with Judge Kenneth Sanborn, as indicated in letters throughout this series. The materials within indicate that Justice Weaver may have been building a case against Judge George, and later newspapers articles show that Judge George was removed as Chief Judge and was investigated by the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission (MJTC). Justice Weaver’s relationships with the other Supreme Court Justices is also documented throughout this series.

Weaver’s attempts to replace Sanborn with O’Sullivan and to file complaints against George with the MJTC all failed by October 2008 (“Probate’s acting chief judge will stay put,” Macomb Daily, October 3, 2008, accessed online December 21, 2018.)

Processing Note: 1 cubic foot of duplicates, out-of-scope materials, and blanks were withdrawn during processing.

Series 22, processed by Anna Dean, Emily Moran, and Mitchel Watts, Administrative Meeting Minutes, 1994-2010, 2.75 cubic ft. (in 6 boxes) is a compilation of minutes created by Justice Weaver for reference. Most of the boxes of this series include agendas and meeting minutes of the court and of court administrative meetings. The fourth box contains the opening and closing of files, Michigan Justice Tenure Commission (JTC) staff reports and letters of recommendation regarding JTC amendments

At the Court Administrative meetings the Justices discuss the inner workings and rules of the court themselves and approve meeting minutes from prior meetings. There are specific court processes that were often changed or adjusted. During these meetings important changes to the court, such as the nomination and acquisition of a new Chief Justice, were discussed. Towards the end of these meetings, Justice Young abstained from approving meeting minutes for a multitude of years. He stated that he will stop abstaining when Justice Weaver is removed from the court. These meetings occurred approximately once a week or every other week.

During court case file review meetings the Justices vote on whether or not a case showed the plaintiff guilty or innocent or decide whether or not they wanted to review a case. These meetings occurred approximately once a week or every other week.

The opening or closing of certain cases is also documented in this series. There is a statute of limitations so if the Justices wish to open or close these files they are allowed to do so only within a certain period. These meetings rarely occurred.

Box 244 (a .25 cubic foot box) includes two JTC folders. During JTC meetings complex changes for justices’ roles were discussed, including a large number of rule changes which govern judicial disciplinary proceedings. These changes were considered in 1999 and 2000. Some of these changes were accepted. There were also a number of recommendations by various people to amend these rules. The JTC met the second Monday of each month.

The Michigan JTC was established by the state in 1968. The Commission strives to hold state judges, magistrates, and referees accountable for their misconduct without jeopardizing or compromising the essential independence of the judiciary. The basis for Commission action is a violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct or Rules of Professional Conduct, which are published with the Michigan Rules of Court. (This information is from the MI JTC’s website, accessed February 20, 2019.)

Processing Note: 58.75 cubic foot of duplicates, out-of-scope materials, and blanks were withdrawn during processing.

Series 23, processed by Carolyn Niehaus, Denials, 2007 – 2009, 9 cubic ft. (in 18 boxes), includes: case notes, legal findings, memorandums, orders, holds, transcripts, supporting constituent correspondence, Justice Weaver notes, syllabuses and other, related materials.

This series documents the Supreme Court cases for which the Justices determine that the case should not be reviewed or tried in the Supreme Court. Also included are documents describing how the Court reached certain decisions.

Each Denial case includes some variation of the following materials: memorandum opinion, orders, a syllabus, memorandums, hold orders, applications, motions, supplemental reports, Weaver’s notes, a transcript, photographs, and other documents relevant to the evaluation of individual cases.

Hold orders appear as regular correspondence between Justices within each Denial case docket. According to Black’s Law Dictionary, a hold order is “an instruction to stop activity by a previous order” (March, 2019). Hold orders appear in the Denial cases through phrasing such as “Please hold this case for conference consideration”, “Please hold this case. I would like to review the file at greater length”, or “THIS IS NOT A HOLD”.

Orals is the final step in the process of Michigan Supreme Court case review. First, the Justices decide if a case should be reviewed at all. If not, the case is denied. Then, a case might require a Justice to review or research the case, and then it may be denied. Next, the Justice may require the lawyers to specifically address one or a few points (mini orals), and then the case may be denied. If the Justices have many or various points to review, the case requires Orals, or presentations by lawyers for the case, and even then the case may be denied. For more information on Orals, see the finding aid for Orals.

Processing Note: 1 cubic feet of copies, miscellaneous agendas and notes, drafts, and peripheral materials as well as cases involving minors were withdrawn during processing. While cases involving minors are a matter of public record, the Justices’ notes about these sensitive cases were not. Therefore, they were withdrawn during processing.

Series 24, processed by Mitchel Watts, the Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect (GTFCAN), 1978-2014, undated, 1 cubic foot (in 2 boxes, 1 Oversized folder) includes: reports, notably the Washtenaw County Trial Court Family Division Juvenile Court Reorganization Report 2001, appointments, state-congressional bills, letters, executive summary, model protocols and a CD. The collection documents the Task Force’s findings and reports on child abuse and neglect in the state of Michigan. The series includes case documents on the debatable topic of whether or not spiritual healing qualifies as child abuse (see Weaver GTFCJ, Spiritual Healing, 1993-1997 folder). A speech made by Justice Weaver (see Weaver GTFCAN, Leland Education Foundation Speech, 2011 folder) details changes she wanted to implement in the court system. There is a CD (see Weaver GTFCAN, State Court Administrative Office 8th Annual Child Welfare Services Conference, Pathways to Permanency, CD, 2012 folder) records an annual conference sponsored by the GTFCAN. Lastly, there is her oversized certificate of to the GTFCJ in 2004. The oversized folder includes Weaver GTFCJ, Appointment Certificate, 2004.

Originally established in 1991, the Governor’s Task Force on Children’s Justice (GTFCJ) was renamed The Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect (GTFCAN) in 2010. The charge of the Task Force remained the same, which was to review and evaluate State investigative, administrative and both civil and criminal judicial handling of cases of child abuse and neglect, including child sexual abuse and exploitation, as well as cases involving suspected child maltreatment related fatalities and cases involving a potential combination of jurisdictions, such as intrastate, interstate, Federal-State, and State-Tribal. Justice Weaver served on both task forces as chair, 1993-2012. Justice Weaver was aware of the suffering of minors in the court system and sought to alleviate their suffering by accelerating the rate by which their cases were heard and resolved through reorganization and reassignments of cases that were waiting for a judge to hear or review them. Her ideas proved unpopular as most Michigan judges did not desire a larger caseload. (This information is from the series, her book, and the website Michigan.gov/Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, accessed in October 2020.)

Processing Note: 1 cubic foot of duplicates, copies, blank papers and miscellaneous information was withdrawn during processing.

Series 25, processed by Emily Moran, Justice Elizabeth A. Weaver Miscellaneous and Photographs, 1987, 2011, undated, includes: awards and various installments of each ceremony in this series, particularly her investiture as Chief Supreme Court Justice in 1995 and involvement with the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame (MWHoF), speeches, including those related to her induction, other women’s inductions into the MWHoF, as well as graduations and other events, and correspondence. Also included are some financial reports, and a folder regarding her judicial misconduct (October-December 2002). Other folders of interest include materials related to the Supreme Court Learning Center, Supreme Court Survival Kit, which are intended for new Justices. Weaver answered a number of questions about her upbringing and how she became interested in a legal career. Lastly, there is a script of her speaking part in an educational video about the courts. The collection is arranged in alphabetical order. There is a thank you note from President George W. Bush and two packets titled Portfolio of Michigan Capito Woodcuts, Reprinted from 1879, and coins, for Capitols 125th Anniversary, 2004. Miscellaneous photographs (Box 284) include formal and informal photographs of Justice Weaver campaigning, interacting with colleagues and friends, group photographs of justices, in the Michigan Woman’s Hall of Fame, Hall of Justice images, and documentation of the arson destruction and recovery of the Court of Appeals office, 1987. There is one photograph of her with President Ronald Reagan, 1995.

Michigan Women Forward, previously known as the Michigan Women’s Foundation, began in 1986 as an organization “devoted to the economic and personal well-being of Michigan women and girls.” Since 1987 they have held annual induction ceremonies into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame. Justice Elizabeth Weaver was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 and gave speeches in honor of other nominees in 2006 and 2008. (This information is from the collection and the Michigan Supreme Court Learning Center’s website, https://courts.michigan.gov/education/learning-center/Pages/default.aspx, Accessed 2 November 2020.)

The Supreme Court Learning Center was established as a hands-on gallery to engage visitors and aid them in understanding the roles of the judicial branch of government. The Learning Center offers tours and educational programs geared towards K-12 students across the state. Justice Elizabeth Weaver was the Supervising Justice for the Learning Center in 2006, however it is not clear how long she held this position. (This information is from the collection and Michigan Women Forward’s website, https://miwf.org/, Accessed 2 November 2020.)

Processing Note: During processing 7cubic feet of duplicates, copies, blank papers and miscellaneous information was withdrawn. Three items relating to budget reports had previously been cataloged and were placed with their appropriate collections.

Series 26, processed by Mitchel Watts, is a continuation of Series 15, the Crystal River series, 1983-2003, undated, 1.5 cubic feet (in 4 boxes) includes: dockets for the Michigan Appeals and Supreme Court, reports, letters, and maps. The majority of the series is recorded proceedings of the Michigan Supreme Court case Friends of the Crystal River V. Kuras Properties. Notably, the series has a full report from the Department of the Army that details their findings in Glen Arbor Township (see Weaver Crystal River, Department of the Army Permit Evaluation Homestead, Undated folder). The series has two folders of letters, one each that supports and disapproves of the proposed golf course (See Weaver Crystal River, Golf Course Support Letters, 1987 folder and Weaver Crystal River, Letters Opposed to the golf Course, 1986-1987). The series also contains a map that shows where the Homestead proposed purchase of land would be in Glen Arbor Township (See Weaver Crystal River, Facts and Maps Concerning the Homestead Golf Course, 1983, 1986). The legal-size box contains recorded proceeding of the case in the Appeals Court.

In 1986, the Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor, Michigan, planned to build a golf course some of which would overlap the Crystal River. The Homestead sought to incorporate the Crystal River as a water hazard within the golf course. Some of the local population so (saw?) this new course as a violations to rivers purity and formed a group called Friends of the Crystal River. The Friends filed a suit against Homestead alleging that their new course would violate the state’s wetlands act and Environmental Protection acts by disrupting the river’s ecology and interfering with the public’s right to use it. When the golf course was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Friends filed a suit which eventually reached the Michigan Supreme Court under docket number 107823. The Supreme court decided to abolish all previous rulings in the lower courts and left the decision to the Department of the Army to determine if the golf course could be built without affecting the environment. After a long survey, the Department of the Army deemed that building the golf course would not be best for the land and Crystal River and therefore the Homestead golf course was not built.

Processing Note: During processing 1 cubic foot of duplicates, blank papers, newspaper clippings and miscellaneous information was withdrawn. One cassette tape and 9 mini cassette tapes were also withdrawn for their miscellaneous information.

Series 27, processed by Emily Moran, Events, 1994-2004, .25 cubic feet (in 1 box) includes: invitations and / or tickets to a wide array of events such as, luncheons, conferences, inductions, banquets, ceremonies, fundraisers, birthday parties, graduations, retirement parties, and organization meetings. There is a folder that contains speeches given by Justice Weaver when attending events titled Events Featuring Speeches, 1994-2004. The folder titled Events Relating to Attorneys / Law Topics, 1998-2004 features events hosted by organizations such as the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan and the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association. The folder titled Events Relating to Friends and Family, 2001-2004 includes invitations and tickets to weddings, graduations, retirements, plays, and symphonies. Events Relating to Judges / Judicial Topics, 1999-2004 has invitations regarding investitures, as well as events hosted by the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society and the Michigan Judicial Institute. Lastly, the folder titled Events Relating to Miscellaneous Organizations, 1999-2004 contains invitations to events hosted by organizations that do not fit into other folders listed, such as the House Republican Campaign Committee and Michigan Senate Republicans.

Founded in 1928, the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan (PAAM) is a voluntary association serving the state of Michigan. As an organization, their primary function is to keep all prosecuting attorneys throughout the state of Michigan updated of changes in law, legislation, and other matters that pertain to their offices. Their goal is to create a uniform system of conduct, duty, and procedure, for each county in the state. (This information is from the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan’s website, https://www.michiganprosecutor.org/, accessed 25 November 2020.)

The Michigan Trial Lawyers Association is now known as the Michigan Association of Justice (MAJ). The organization’s mission statement is “to promote a fair and effective justice system,” through supporting the work of attorneys who obtain justice for persons who are injured by misconduct or negligence of others. The organization achieves this by hosting seminars, forums, and publications to help MAJ members advocate for their clients successfully. (This information is from the Michigan Association of Justice website, https://www.michiganjustice.org/, accessed on 25 November 2020.)

Processing Note: 4 cubic feet of copies, thank you letters, event schedules, blank papers and miscellaneous information was withdrawn during processing.

Series 28, processed by Emily Moran, Court Cases, 1996-2008, .5 cubic feet (in 1 box) includes: court-related documents, such as syllabi, opinions, hearing transcripts, supplemental reports, and orders. Also included are personal notes taken by Justice Weaver during oral hearings and memorandums sent between the Justices. Three cases are highlighted in the collection: Gilbert v. DaimlerChrysler Co., In re Haley, and In re Nettles-Nickerson. Each court case has a folder Syllabus, Official Documents, and a folder Orals, Personal Notes, in which Justice Weaver made notes and comments regarding each case. A specific folder In re Haley Memorandums between Justices, 2005-2006, features the back and forth hostile deliberation about the majority and minority opinions between both Justice Weaver and the majority, Robert P. Young, Jr., Clifford W. Taylor, Maura D. Corrigan, and Stephen J. Markman. A folder Sample of Weaver Selected Cases, 1996-1998, were intentionally retained by Justice Weaver to demonstrate her dissenting opinions.

Processing Note: 5.5 cubic feet of copies, memorandums, supplemental information, and miscellaneous materials were withdrawn during processing.

Series 29, processed by Marian Matyn, Justice Elizabeth A. Weaver Budgets, Calendars, 1975, 2007 (Scattered), 1 cubic feet (in 2 boxes), consists of the remnants of two series, Budgets and Calendars, combined into one. The series includes budget information for the Judiciary, 1998; Recorder’s Court, 1997; a survey of court employee compensation, 1996; and correspondence and an article about the Justices no longer having a state car in 2007 due to budget cuts. Also included is a sample of Weaver’s various types of calendars, 1975-1976; 1981; 1986; 1995; 2001 and 2005. She had multiple calendars each year with both personal and professional entries duplicated from one calendar to the next. In 1975 Weaver had two desk calendars. The archivist combined pages with information on them, which sometimes is duplicative, into one folder. The calendars span her time as a Probate Court Judge, January 1974-1986, and as a Michigan Supreme Court Justice, 1995-2010, and as Chief Justice, 1999-2001.

Processing Note: During processing 4 cubic feet of duplicates, miscellaneous, phone message books, and blanks was withdrawn. 1 publication was separately cataloged.

Series 30, processed by Emily Moran, Leelanau Center for Education (LCE), 1980-1987, and undated, .25 cubic ft. (in 1 box), contains materials relating to Justice Weaver’s involvement within the Leelanau Center for Education (LCE), such as letters of grievances, letters regarding the Homestead golf course development project, LCE curriculum and policy changes, and Justice Weaver’s 1987 resignation from the Board of Trustees. Folders of interest include Grievances to LCE Board of Trustees, 1987, featuring letters from Leelanau School alum, The Homestead Golf Course Project, 1986-1987, containing materials sent to the Board of Trustees concerning the golf course development project, and LCE Curriculum, 1980-1987, undated, which highlights school curriculum and policies, including Christian Science programs. Lastly, Resignation from the LCE, 1987, has farewell letters sent to Justice Weaver after her departure from the Board of Trustees

Researchers may also be interested in related materials found in Series 12 Probate Court and Leelanau Materials 1974-1990, undated, as well as folder Leelanau School Documents, 1986-1987, in Series 15 and 26 Crystal River Materials.

Camp Leelanau for Boys and Camp Kohahna for Girls were founded by M. “Skipper” Beals and his sister Maude Beals Turner in the early 1920s. Originally providing daily educational programs, the camps paved way for the creation of what is now known as the Leelanau School to offer year-round traditional academics. The two camps joined together in the 1970s to share land and were located in Northport from 1981-1988. In 1988, the non-profit organization Camp Leelanau and Kohahna Foundation, Inc. was formed to take on the responsibilities of running the camps.

Previously known as the Leelanau Center for Education, the Leelanau School is a private boarding and day school for K-12 students. The Homestead, Leelanau School, and Camp Leelanau were supervised by the governing board of the Leelanau School and shared space on the same property before a division of the land between the three groups in the 1980s. The school is designed to be a facility for students looking to learn in a Christian Science community. (This information is taken from the collection, The Leelanau School’s official website, https://leelanau.org/, and Camp Leelanau and Kohahna’s official website, https://leelanau-kohahna.org/, accessed 1 December 2020.)

Processing Note: 1 cubic foot of copies, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, water damaged materials, and miscellaneous papers were withdrawn during processing.

Series 31, processed by Marian Matyn, Justice Elizabeth A. Weaver CJJ (Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice), 1995, 2006, 1.5 cubic feet (in 3 boxes), includes: meeting minutes and related emails, attachments, reports, proposals, and statistics for the committee, executive committee, and subcommittees on which Weaver served, 1995-2006, There is material for every year except 1996 and 2000. There are reports, proposals, and statistics on at risk, abused, and disproportionately incarcerated Michigan Black, Native American and female minors from organizations and government agencies responsible for their care, trying to improve their care, or reporting on it including: Childhelp USA, Leelanau County Family Coordinating Council, Michigan Child and Family Services, Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice, Alternatives for Girls, Michigan Department of Human Services’ Bureau of Juvenile Justice (BJJ), Black Family Development, Inc. (Detroit), and Girls Rock Our World (G.R.O.W.). There is also a letter from Margie Good who served on the CJJ with Weaver recommending the governor reappoint Weaver due to her excellent service to the committee. In 2005 the CJJ was supposed to submit a Juvenile Crime analysis report, 2000-2003, but members found many inaccuracies in it.

The Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice, abbreviated by Weaver as CJJ, provides advice, suggestions and solutions to the Governor on juvenile justice issues. The CJJ works collaboratively with the Department of Health and Human Services and other agencies. The Committee has been instrumental in changing practices, policies, and philosophies to improve the juvenile justice system. Created in 1975, it is an important liaison with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), an office of the federal Department of Justice. Every three years the CJJ is required to develop and submit a juvenile justice plan to the OJJDP. The mission of the CJJ is to advise the Governor on matters related to juvenile justice legislation and administration, to mobilize communities to develop and implement prevention services, and to create a strategic plan that sets standards, determines priorities and allocates funds for successful. delinquency prevention and rehabilitative programs. (This information is from the MCJJ website, https://michigancommitteeonjuvenilejustice.com/about-us/about-us.html, accessed December 1, 2020.)

Processing Note: 1.5 cubic feet of duplicates, out-of-state publications, reading materials, and miscellaneous information was withdrawn during processing.

Series 32, processed by Emily Moran, Central Michigan University Law Couse, 1976 and undated, .25 cubic foot (in 1 box), ccontains materials relating to Justicer Weaver's law course which she taught through CMU at NMCC in Traverse City, Michigan. Materials include class syllabus, lecture outlines, lecture notes, quizzes and tests relating to the course. Lastly, there is a booklet relating to laws of Michigan (in folder CMU Law Course, You and the Law Publication), undated.

Central Michigan University (CMU) began officially offering classes in Traverse City in 1979 through Northwestern Michigan Community College (NMCC). The course taught by Justice Elizabeth Weaver in 1976 was a special opportunity provided to students given the unique circumstances of Justice Weaver offering to run the course.

Processing Note: During processing 1 cubic foot, .5 cubic foot from this series and .5 from Media series, which was photocopied news clippings and recordings of Weaver being interviewed by the press over the phone, were withdrawn.

Series 33, processed by Emily Moran, Mitchel Watts, Opinion Agendas, 1997-1999, 2008, .5 cubic foot (in 1 box), is agendas for meetings at which the Michigan Supreme Court decided which opinions to rehear. There are some additional notes as to which justice initially reviewed the case and presented it to the other justices, vote tallies and comments.

Processing Note: .25 cubic foot of duplicates were withdrawn during processing.

Series 34,processed by Emily Moran, MItchel Watts, Objects, 1984-2011, undated, 5cubic foot (in 3 boxes, 6 Oversized folders, 1 Oversized framed portrait) includes: a sample of her election banners, posters, t-shirts, and bumper stickers; certificates, oaths of office, and diplomas, awards and plaques, and an oil painting of when she was a probate judge, undated.

Processing Note: .5 cubic foot of duplicates was withdrawn during processing.

Closed series Processing Note: During processing, Michigan Supreme Court Orals, 1998-2010 (videotapes and DVDs) were separately cataloged as a series. Please refer to that catalog record for further information. Also during processing several series marked Closed when donated to the Clarke were withdrawn from the collection during processing, a total of 3.5 cubic feet.

Biographical / Historical:

Biography:

Justice Elizabeth A. Weaver (March 28, 1941- April 21, 2015) was a justice in Michigan’s Supreme Court from 1995 to 2010 and served as Chief Justice from 1999 to 2001. Originally born in New Orleans, Louisiana, she began her law practice by working with the Chevron Corporation, and then relocated to Michigan. Once in Michigan she began teaching first grade and served as the dean of girls at The Leelanau School in Glen Arbor. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962 from H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College and in 1965 she received her Juris Doctorate from Tulane University Law School. In 1973, Weaver was admitted to the Michigan bar. By 1974 she was elected as Leelanau County’s probate court judge. In 1987, Weaver was elected to the Michigan Court of Appeals and was re-elected in 1992. Justice Weaver served the Michigan Court of Appeals from January 1987 to January 1995.

Justice Weaver was a pioneering example of women engaging in the legal profession. Often cited as “radical” and a maverick within Michigan courts as she spoke her mind unapologetically. Communications between Weaver and other justices within the Appellate Court of Michigan, reveals that she was not as conservative as her Republican counterparts. Justice Weaver tackled Michigan’s toughest legal issues such as child abuse and neglect as well as issues related to personhood. Her papers reveal the lifework of a formidable justice that exhibit the highest level of dedication to service as well as the detailed inner-workings of Michigan’s highest court. She was censored by the Michigan Supreme Court in 2010 and left the court. Weaver co-authored a book with David B. Schock about her experiences, Judicial Deceit: Tyranny and Unnecessary Secrecy at the Michigan Supreme Court, a copy of which is available in the Clarke. (This information is from the collection and her autobiography.)

History of the Michigan Supreme Court, Court of Appeals:

Between the years 1988 and 1993, the Michigan Legislature increased the size of the bench from 24 to 28 justices. During this time, Justice Elizabeth A. Weaver served as a dynamic and often times, a controversial, supreme court justice. Since the establishment of the Court of Appeals in 1965, annual filings increased exponentially from an average of 1,235 in 1965 to over 13,000 in 1992. It is this complete Court of Appeals series within the Justice Weaver collection that beautifully illustrates this case load increase between the years of 1987 and 1994.

According to the Michigan Courts governmental website (http://courts.mi.gov/courts/coa/aboutthecourt/pages/history.aspx), Michigan’s Court of Appeals lead the nation in innovations such as employing research attorneys and court clerks to specialize in a single branch of Michigan’s Justice branch. This fact is evidenced by Justice Weaver’s Court of Appeals series as there is a high level of organization within the series and documented communications where each case is methodically arranged from the final lower court ruling, to initial appeal filing, and all communications from the other justices arriving at a final decision, to final case publication and opinion delivery.

From Justice Weaver’s Court of Appeals series, a few cases stand out as pivotal for Justice Weaver and for Michigan case law evolution. In Sands v. Sands, the outcome ultimately changed Michigan divorce law regarding equitable marital property distribution. The Fryover case (Box 5, Folders 2-3), another case handled by Justice Weaver, in which a Plaintiff, Steven Fryover, brought wrongful death suits against Forbes on behalf of his son, Karl James Fryover, and his wife, Penny Fryover. In this particular case, Justice Weaver issued a dissenting opinion, “I dissent. I believe that the majority decision, which for the first time allows a wrongful death action for a nonviable fetus not born alive, constitutes judicial legislation. Under the facts here presented, the need is for judicial restraint.” Within the Court of Appeals series that houses this case, Justice Weaver’s hand written notes explicitly detail the arrival at her decision and her persistence in the belief that judges should not make law. (http://www.ecases.us/case/michctapp/1863848/fryover-v-forbes)

“Organizationally, the Court has continued to evolve as well. Originally, all filings were processed through the Lansing office of the Court, and new files were only distributed among the outlying district offices of the Clerk after jurisdiction was confirmed in mandatory cases and leave was granted in discretionary matters.” (http://courts.mi.gov/courts/coa/aboutthecourt/pages/history.aspx

“The Court of Appeals' mandate guides its continued evolution as a critical element of the justice system in Michigan: "[T]o secure the just, speedy, and economical determination of every action and to avoid the consequences of error that does not affect the substantial rights of the parties." (Michigan Court Rule 1.105) (http://courts.mi.gov/courts/coa/aboutthecourt/pages/history.aspx)

Acquisition Information:

Acc# 74123

Arrangement:

Series 1, Court of Appeals, is organized chronologically and by case number, following original order.

Series 2, Per Curiam, is organized numerically by docket number, following original order.

Series 3 and 4, Disqualifications of Judges and Fieger Articles and Dockets, are organized alphabetically and chronologically.

Series 5, Michigan Supreme Court Campaign Materials, is organized alphabetically and chronologically.

Series 6, Hall of Justice Materials, is organized by size, alphabetically and chronologically.

Series 7, Brady v Attorney Grievance Commission (AGC) Materials, is organized alphabetically and chronologically.

Series 8, Wayne County v Hathcock Materials, is organized alphabetically and chronologically.

Series 9, Pellegrino v Ampco Materials, is organized alphabetically and chronologically.

Series 10, Speeches, is organized chronologically.

Series 11, Trial Court Assessment Commission (TCAC), is organized alphabetically.

Series 12, Probate Court and Leelanau Materials, is organized by size, alphabetically and chronologically.

Series 13, Court Reform Materials, is organized chronologically and alphabetically within general topics as originally organized by Justice Weaver.

Series 14, Orals, is organized in original order, mostly numerically and chronologically.

Series 15, Crystal River, which is continued by Series 26, is organized by size, alphabetically and chronologically.

Series 16, Mini-Orals, is organized numerically and chronologically.

Series 17, Reference Materials, is organized alphabetically and chronologically.

Series 18, Campaigns Material, is organized chronologically and then alphabetically.

Series 19, 46th District Court Docket No. 128878 Materials, is organized alphabetically and then chronologically.

Series 20, Reform Michigan Government Now Materials, is organized alphabetically and then chronologically.

Series 21, Macomb County Probate Court Materials, is organized chronologically.

Series 22, Administrative Meeting Minutes, is organized chronologically.

Series 23, Denials, is organized according to the original order in which they were reviewed, roughly chronologically and numerically by docket number.

Series 24, Task Forces, is organized alphabetically and chronologically.

Series 25, Miscellaneous and Photographs, is organized alphabetically and chronologically.

Series 26, Crystal River, a continuation of Series 15, is organized alphabetically.

Series 27, Events, is organized alphabetically and chronologically.

Series 28, Court Cases, is organized alphabetically and chronologically.

Series 29, Budgets / Calndars, is organized alphabetically and chronologically.

Series 30, Leelanau Center for Education (LCE), is organized alphabetically and chronologically.

Series 31, Commission on Juvenile Justice (CJJ) is organized chronologically then alphabetically.

Series 32, Central Michigan University Law Couse is organized alphabetically and chronologically.

Series 33, Opinions, is organized chronologically.

Series 34, Objects, is organized organized by size and chronologically.

Subjects

Click on terms below to find any related finding aids on this site.

Subjects:

Child abuse—Government policy--Michigan.
Property tax relief—Michigan.
Spiritual healing.
American Revolution Bicentennial, 1976--Michigan.
African American legislators.
Children--Michigan--Legal status, laws, etc.
Court administration--Laws, regulations, and rules.
Court admininstration--Michigan.
Court calendars--Michigan.
Court decisions and opinions.
Courthouses--Design and construction.
Courts--Michigan--Evaluation.
Courts--Michigan--Finance.
Judges--Disqualification--United States.
Judges--Michigan.
Judges--Michigan--Biography.
Judges--Michigan--Discipline.
Judges--Michigan--Election.
Juvenile courts--Michigan.
Juvenile detention--Michigan.
Political questions and judicial power--United States.
Women judges--United States--Biography.

Names:

Albert Kahn Associates.
Friends of Crystal River (Mich.)
Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Glen Lake-Crystal River Watershed Riparians (Mich.)
Gosling Czubak Engineering Services, inc.
The Leelanau School (Glen Arbor, Mich.)
Michigan. Attorney Grievance Commission.
Michigan. Circuit Court (Wayne County)
Michigan. Court of Appeals.
Michigan. District courts.
Michigan. State Court Administrative Office.
Michigan. Supreme Court.
Michigan. Supreme Court--Biography.
Michigan. Supreme Court--Cases.
Michigan. Supreme Court. Family Court Division. Implementaton Task Force.
Michigan. Supreme Court--History.
Michigan Agricultural Mediation Program.
Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission.
Michigan State Bar Association.
Michigan Trial Court Assessment Commision.
National Center for State Courts.
United States. Dept. of the Interior.
United States. Environmental Protection Agency.
Michigan. Governor’s Task Force on Children’s Justice.
Michigan. Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect.
Michigan. Trial Court (Washtenaw County). Juvenile Court.
Michigan. Supreme Court. Learning Center.
Michigan Women Forward.
Michigan Women’s Foundation.
Michigan Women’s Historical Center and Hall of Fame.
Central Michigan University--History.
Northwestern Michigan College--History.
Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan.
Michigan Association for Justice.
Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice.
Leelanau County Family Coordinating Council (Mich.)
Girls Rock Our World G.R.O.W., Inc.
Black Family Development, Inc. (Detroit, Mich.)
Weaver, Elizabeth A.
Brickely, James H.
Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946-
Reagan, Ronald.
Coleman, Mary S. (Mary Stallings), 1914-2001.
Davis, Alton T.
Fieger, Geoffrey Nels, 1950-
Ford, Bill, 1957-
Kelly, Marilyn J.
Mallet, Conrad L., Jr., 1953-
Obama, Barack.
Vander Jagt, Guy, 1931-2007.
Van Regenmorter, William.
Williams, G. Mennen, 1911-1988.
Young, Robert P.

Places:

Crystal River (Mich.) -- History.
Glen Arbor (Mich.) -- History.
Isabella County (Mich.) -- History.
Lansing (Mich.) -- History.
Lapeer County (Mich.) -- History.
Leelanau (Mich.) -- History.
Leelanau County (Mich.) -- History.
Michigan--Poitics and government.