Davis is seen as a fair judge

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Newly appointed Michigan Supreme Court Justice Alton Thomas Davis. The Associated Press/Al Goldis

August 27, 2010

Colleagues call him a peacemaker, not an idealogue

By JOHN FLESHER Associated Press writer The Record Eagle Fri Aug 27, 2010, 07:45 AM EDT

TRAVERSE CITY — When Bill Carey faced off against fellow attorney Alton Davis in a mid-1980s divorce case, they got along so well that Carey later invited Davis to join his law practice.

Even then, Carey said, Davis showed a bridge-building tendency for which he became known during 26 years as a circuit and state appeals court judge. His peacemaking skills may be sorely tested as a justice on a Michigan Supreme Court torn in recent years by ideological and partisan strife.

Divorce matters "can be quite acrimonious and the lawyers can get caught up in that, but he didn't and I didn't," Carey, of Grayling, said Thursday. "One thing he had then and has never lost as a judge is a great empathy for people's circumstances and predicaments."

Alton Thomas Davis, 63, replaces Betty Weaver, a Glen Arbor resident who resigned after Gov. Jennifer Granholm promised to appoint a successor from northern Michigan. Supporters describe Davis, known to friends as "Tom," as an exemplar of small-town values — hard work, fairness, common sense.

"He has been described in the following way: 'In the midst of conflict, Judge Davis is always the grown-up in the room,'" Granholm said. "Indeed, while the acrimony on the Michigan Supreme Court has been well documented, Justice Davis is someone who can bring a sense of collegiality and gravitas ... as a seasoned, unflappable, no-nonsense steady hand."

Republicans weren't buying the portrayal of Davis, expected to be nominated for a full eight-year term at this weekend's Democratic state convention, as a seeker of common ground. State GOP spokeswoman Jennifer Hoff labeled him a "politician in a robe" and a "partisan hack."

"Our initial assessment is that he may be a more liberal and activist judge," said Rich Studley, president of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, who said the group was "scrambling to review his record" as a judge on the state Court of Appeals, to which Granholm named him in 2005.

Barry Gates, president of a trial lawyers group called the Michigan Association for Justice, said Davis was respected by attorneys across the ideological spectrum for his knowledge of the law and skills as a "consensus builder."

"He's a regular guy who's super bright, super hardworking, who comes to the bench not to lord over people but to make fair decisions about their cases," Gates said. "Intellectually he will be a star on that court."

Born in Petoskey, Davis was raised in the nearby Burt Lake community and has lived in Grayling for more than three decades. He graduated from Western Michigan University and Detroit College of Law and practiced law for 10 years in Grayling, where he also served part time as Crawford County prosecutor.

He spent 21 years as a circuit judge before joining the appeals court. He is "the most experienced jurist I have ever appointed to the bench," Granholm said.

As a trial judge, Davis was learned and respectful, said Grayling attorney Terry Bloomquist, another former partner.

"Nobody was ever downtrodden in his courtroom," Bloomquist said. "It was a pleasure to be there, even if you were on the losing side."

Davis also spoke of his roots during a news conference, describing himself as an avid fly fisherman who enjoys reading history and the novels of fellow northern Michigan native Jim Harrison. Davis worked as a late-night disc jockey while in college and has an iPod packed with more than 1,800 songs. He's partial to zydeco, a fast-tempo folk style similar to Cajun music.

He said he never would have run for the appeals court or the Supreme Court without being appointed first. Mounting a successful campaign as a non-incumbent, he said, requires lots of money and being well-connected, "which country boys seldom are."

Davis said his "northern Michigan mindset" could mesh well with the ideas and experiences of colleagues from the state's urban areas.

"You recognize that there's this huge diversity in Michigan, and that things are done differently in different places," he said. "And unless you have a good understanding of this, sometimes it's difficult to fashion the kind of remedies that we ought to have if we're going forward as a state."

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Associated Press correspondent Kathy Barks Hoffman contributed to this story from Lansing.

AP-WF-08-27-10 0011GMT