LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein has apologized to a fellow justice after criticizing her decision to hire an ex-convict to serve as a clerk.
Justice Kyra Harris Bolden had hired Pete Martel, a 48-year-old man who previously served 14 years in prison for robbing a store and firing shots at police officers. Martel was paroled in 2008 and earned a degree from Wayne State University’s law school.
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Bernstein said he believes in second chances, but told the Detroit News, “There are certain jobs you should never be allowed to have after you shoot at a police officer, and one of them is clerking for the highest court in the state. ... I’m completely disgusted by this.”
Bolden said she accepted Martel’s resignation after Bernstein’s comments.
“He did not want to be a distraction or in any way divert the court from its important work,” Bolden said. “I respect his decision and do not intend to comment further.”
On Monday (Jan. 9), Bernstein issued a statement apologizing to Bolden and Martel. He said Bolden accepted his apology in person at the Hall of Justice.
“I regret overstepping Justice Bolden’s hiring process and should not have disturbed her ability to lead her chambers,” Bernstein said. “Mr. Martel is not an elected official and my actions invited people into his life in a way that he had not signed up for and he deserved more consideration.
Here is the full statement from Bernstein:
“Today, I apologized to my colleague Justice Kyra Harris Bolden in-person at the Hall of Justice and she has accepted my apology. I regret overstepping Justice Bolden’s hiring process and should not have disturbed her ability to lead her Chambers.
I would also like to apologize to Mr. Peter Martel. Mr. Martel is not an elected official and my actions invited people into his life in a way that he had not signed up for and he deserved more consideration.
I am committed to working with Justice Bolden in the coming years to advance our many shared values, including immediately working to expand opportunities in the legal field for those who have repaid their debts to society.
My day-to-day priority going forward will be to fulfill the confidence placed in me by the people of Michigan. I will not take that for granted and will focus on evaluating each case based on its merits and the laws of Michigan, as the citizens of our State expect.”
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein