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Michigan Supreme Court justice Bernstein returning to bench after seeking mental health treatment

Bernstein, who is blind, has been a justice since 2015

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein takes leave for mental health treatment

LANSING, Mich. – A Michigan Supreme Court justice said he’s returning to in-person work after a month away to seek treatment for depression.

Richard Bernstein, who is blind, has been a justice since 2015 and was reelected last November to an eight-year term.

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“It is my sincere hope that by talking about these issues in the open, free from any needless stigma, we can move closer to a day when anyone struggling can avail themselves of the same quality care I was blessed to receive,” Bernstein, 48, said in a statement.

He announced on April 18 that he was seeking care outside Michigan. Bernstein said Tuesday that he was treated for “situational depression,” which can develop due to a series of events.

Bernstein did not participate when the Supreme Court heard cases on April 26 and May 10.

Bernstein comes from a well-known family in Michigan’s legal community, name recognition that helped get him elected in 2014. The Sam Bernstein law firm is a major TV advertiser in the Detroit area.


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