It wasn't long ago Elizabeth Weaver found herself alone, a castaway on a bitterly divided Michigan Supreme Court.
The veteran jurist from Glen Arbor never meshed with her four fellow Republicans on the bench, a quartet hand-picked by former Gov. John Engler to in effect protect insurance companies and government and corporate interests. Her political and judicial philosophies didn't necessarily jibe with those of the Court's two Democrats, either.
So Weaver for years dutifully voted her conscience -- sometimes siding with the Engler Four, sometimes with the Dems -- and often added a flint-edged dissent. Her outspoken nature and frequent criticism of the Engler Four, particularly Chief Justice Clifford Taylor, landed a bull's-eye on Weaver's back, and the court majority delighted in flinging knives her way.
More than once the Engler crew mocked Weaver, hinted she was a bit batty, and dismissed her as a justice scorned because they'd earlier stripped her of her chief judge title.
But if Weaver displayed any craziness, it appears it was of the fox-like variety. Her battles with the Engler Four attracted some media and public attention, especially when she questioned the court's commitment to unbiased review of cases. Weaver pointed to public or political statements made by some justices, including situations in which some of her fellows appeared to have taken stances on issues or personalities before they appeared on the Court's docket.
She discussed the need for campaign finance reform, just as Supreme Court races attracted unprecedented millions in political cash. And she insisted the top court's justices adopt written guidelines to establish whether any of them harbored prejudices or biases that might hinder their ability to fairly hear and decide cases.
After all, Weaver noted, every other court in the state had such guidelines to address potential bias.
The Engler Four laughed her off. They were the majority, possessed huge campaign war chests, and for the most part, the public and media remained unconcerned with Court esoterica.
But in the November 2008 election, Democratic Party-backed Diane Hathaway shockingly whipped Taylor, and the Engler Four's world spun off its axis. Suddenly, Supreme Court numbers read: Engler Republicans, 3; Democrats, 3; Elizabeth Weaver, a verrrry big 1.
A few weeks ago, Weaver and the three Dems passed new, written rules she said will increase Court transparency and fairness. The remaining Englerites bitterly protested, though their dire warnings of democracy's impending collapse seemed shallow and shrill, in light of their seeming indifference to democratic principles during their heyday.
Now, top court justices must declare conflicts and step away from a case if prejudiced. If a justice is unwilling to do so, their fellows may weigh in and send him or her to the sideline if they believe it betters the cause of justice.
It's an important verdict for judicial integrity. And castaway, fox-crazy Elizabeth Weaver cast the deciding vote.
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