New mini-exhibit at Michigan Historical Center honors 50th anniversary of the Michiga

New mini-exhibit at Michigan Historical Center honors 50th anniversary of the Michigan Court of Appeals

Contact: Sandra Clark 517-373-6362
Agency: Natural ResourcesApril 21, 2015

Opened just this week, a new exhibit on the second-floor atrium of the Michigan Historical Center honors the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Michigan Court of Appeals. “A Court Turns 50”*will run through June 15.

In 1963, Michigan adopted its current state constitution, which added a new item to its Declaration of Rights: “In every criminal prosecution, the accused shall have ... an appeal as a matter of right.”

“No existing court at the time could fulfill the promise of giving everyone the right to appeal,” said Sandra Clark, director of the Michigan Historical Center and curator for the exhibit. “The Michigan Supreme Court, like the U.S. Supreme Court, chooses the cases it will hear. So the new constitution created a new court to hear appeals.”

The new court was elected by voters in 1964 and began reviewing cases in January 1965. Among the items in the exhibit are:

• Items from the 1961-62 constitutional convention or “Con Con,” including a committee room nameplate for Robert Danhof, who headed the committee that created the Court of Appeals.
• The first opinion the court issued, Ball v Trenton, from Feb. 10, 1965. The five-page opinion affirmed the lower court’s finding that the new constitution’s prohibition of judges running for election after their 70th birthday applied to municipal court judges. It also affirmed that the election of municipal judges was a local matter, allowing Trenton to proceed with its Feb. 15, 1965, election.
• Photos of the first chief judge of the Court of Appeals, T. John Lesinski, and the first chief clerk, Ronald Dzierbicki.
• A photo and campaign pamphlet from 1969 for Robert Danhof who, having helped create the Court of Appeals, served as its second chief judge for nearly 16 years before retiring in 1992.

The museum and visitor parking are on the north side of Kalamazoo Street, two blocks east of M.L. King Jr. Boulevard in downtown Lansing. Weekend parking is free. General admission fees for the Michigan Historical Museum are $6 for adults 18-64, children through age 5 are free, youth ages 6-17 are $2, and seniors 65 and up are $4. Annual passes are available, and there is no admission charge on Sundays.The Michigan Historical Center is part of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Its museum and archival programs help people discover, enjoy and find inspiration in their heritage. It includes the Michigan Historical Museum, 10 regional museums, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve, and the Archives of Michigan. Learn more at www.michigan.gov/mhc.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.




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New mini-exhibit at Michigan Historical Center honors 50th anniversary of the Michiga