State Rep. Graham Filler today issued the following statement on House Bill 5131, which creates a new Court of Appeals district and packs the courts with six new judgeships:

“House Democrats are shamelessly scheming to pack the Michigan Court of Appeals with six new judges. They’re fast-tracking this bill through the Legislature with no scrutiny and no regard for the public’s right to input. This is wrong.

“There is absolutely no need for additional Court of Appeals judges in Michigan. The number of case filings has not increased, and our current Court of Appeals judges are more than capable of handling the existing caseload with efficiency and fairness. Adding six new judges is a clear case of court-packing. These judges are disproportionately allocated to key Democrat strongholds, clearly making this move nothing more than a craven political maneuver. Manipulating judgeships like this undermines the fundamental principle that our justice system should be blind to political affiliations and free from partisan influence. This is nothing but partisan influence.

“The lack of transparency and public involvement in this process is deeply troubling. The House has two committees dedicated to addressing issues related to the courts and the criminal justice system, yet this bill is being quietly and quickly rerouted through a different committee with no experience working on these issues and no opportunity for public scrutiny. This raises serious questions about the majority party’s intentions and its need to avoid public oversight and accountability.

“Such a significant overhaul of the court’s structure demands careful consideration and open debate, not a politically motivated plan crafted behind closed doors and rushed through the Legislature.”

###