Gov. Snyder Appoints Kurtis Wilder to State Supreme Court

Judge Kurtis Wilder (center)

Gov. Rick Snyder on Tuesday appointed Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Judge Kurtis T. Wilder to the state Supreme Court.

Wilder replaces conservative Justice Robert Young, 65, who recently resigned to return to the law firm, Dickinson Wright, where he worked earlier.

“Judge Wilder has long demonstrated his keen intellect, his ability to navigate complex legal issues and his aptitude for forming consensus on the court,” Snyder says in a statement.

“As a veteran judge of more than two decades, Judge Wilder is committed to the rule of law and the proper role of the judiciary. He is a superb addition to our highest court and I am certain he will continue the Michigan Supreme Court’s reputation of excellence.”

Before being appointed to the Michigan Court of Appeals, Wilder was chief judge of the Washtenaw County Circuit Court. He'll be eligible for election to a full eight-year term in November 2018.