Michigan Supreme Court names chief justice

LANSING — The Michigan Supreme Court has selected its new chief justice.

The court said the vote for Bridget McCormack was unanimous last week.

McCormack, a former law school professor, has been a Supreme Court justice since 2013.

McCormack said Michigan courts "must be accessible to all" and "independent of political pressure."

She is one of three Democrats on the Supreme Court.

The longest-serving justice, Stephen Markman, was chief justice in 2017 and 2018. Spokesman John Nevin said he didn't seek the job again.

The court said Justice David Viviano has been named to a new post, chief justice pro tem. He will focus on technology and statewide administrative changes to improve service to the public.