Chief Justice Clifford Taylor, who lost his re-election in November to Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Diane Hathaway, said he is proud of his judicial record as a "textualist" in his approach to the law and believes that a careful analysis of the majority's voting pattern over the past decade will indicate adherence to the practice of "stare decisis."
"I did this job as though it was a lifetime appointment," Chief Justice Taylor said, brushing off criticism from plaintiff attorneys. "I haven't been concerned with political fallout from special interest groups. Members of this court have to rise above that and I'm proud of the way we have handled it."
He has no regrets over moves he initiated to curb court spending, doing away last year with state-owned cars for appellate judges. Recently, he spearheaded a 4-3 decision to close satellite offices for Supreme Court justices, a mo...