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.
