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A law clerk for the Michigan Supreme Court resigned on Thursday, January 5, 2023. The resignation came just hours after one justice on the bench publicly criticized the clerk, saying he was "disgusted" because his colleague hired the clerk who pled guilty of armed robbery and shooting at police officers. The clerk was hired by the bench's newest Justice, Kyra Harris Bolden, who says that she "accepts" the resignation from the law clerk, "I have accepted Pete Martel's resignation. He did not want to be a distraction or in any way divert the court from its important work. I respect his decision and do not intend to comment further," Justice Bolden stated.

"I know I'm going to get raked over the coals because it's highly unusual for a Supreme Court justice to speak out against other justices," the Justice told Detroit News. "But this is a step too far. At some point, you've got to say enough is enough. We're getting bail reform, and we keep pushing the envelope farther and farther, but do we really want to go this far?"

Justice Bernstein, the Justice who called out Justice Bolden, called Martel's hire of the clerk a "political statement." He says"When you're in the Legislature, you can make statements like that. But we are not the Legislature. The Supreme Court is not the place you go to find redemption. This isn't an after-school special or a Hallmark movie."

"He was one of the best students I ever had, and I wish I'd have hired him as a clerk," former Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget McCormack told the Detroit News. "He's been open about his past and his regrets about it, and how he's eager to be an example for others, to show them that you don't have to be defined by your past. I honestly can't think of anything in a justice system that we value more — we should support people who succeed at redemption."

Justice Bernstein and Justice Bolden have made it clear that their relationship has been difficult from the start, admitting they both hold different values and morals.