Blind judge making history on Michigan's top court

[FrodosPet]

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_27218147/blind-judge-making-history-michigans-top-court

DETROIT (AP) — Richard Bernstein officially joins the Michigan Supreme Court in a few days. But he's been working off the clock since November, preparing for 10 cases in an extraordinary way — memorizing the key points of every brief read to him by an aide.

Bernstein, 41, has been blind since birth. After winning the election, an assistant at his family's Detroit-area law firm began reading briefs to him for mid-January arguments, including a medical marijuana case and a labor dispute covering thousands of state employees.

~ snip ~

Bernstein is widely known in southeastern Michigan because his family's personal-injury law firm regularly advertises on TV. He spent more than $1.8 million of his own money to campaign for the state Supreme Court. His slogan? "Blind Justice."

As one of only two Democrats on the seven-member court, Bernstein is unlikely to crack the court's conservative sway. But he's still expected to make a difference.

~ snip ~

While Geoffrey Fieger is widely despised, both professionally and personally, Richard Bernstein seems very well respected. Even an anti-Semitic former co-worker of mine had good things to say about him.

[Omaha Steve]

1. Beat me to the post!

K&R!

[longship]

2. I happily voted for Bernstein.

I felt strongly that he would win a seat.

R&

[Octafish]

3. Kick for two good Democrats.

Fieger, for those who don't know, keeps his word

[Bigmack]

4. Somebody has to do the Off Topic thing here....

Remember Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant"?

With the "27 8x10 color pictures with the circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one ..."?

Blind justice...? Remember..?

Sorry...