Michigan Farm Bureau’s AgriPac has endorsed two candidates — incumbent Justice Brian Zahra and nominee Paul Hudson — as Friends of Agriculture to serve as Michigan Supreme Court Justices for the Nov. 8 general election.
The Michigan Supreme Court, considered the court of last resort, consists of seven justices, annually receiving more than 2,000 applications from litigants primarily seeking review of decisions by the Michigan Court of Appeals.
The Supreme Court's authority to hear cases is discretionary. The court grants leave to those cases of greatest complexity and public importance, where additional briefing and oral argument are essential to reaching a just outcome. Often, those cases have a direct or indirect impact on Michigan agriculture, including Right to Farm cases, for example.
Each justice is responsible for reviewing cases to determine whether leave should be granted. Cases that are accepted for oral argument may be decided by an order, with or without an opinion. These orders may affirm or reverse the Michigan Court of Appeals, may remand a case to the trial court, or may adopt a correct Court of Appeals opinion.
Brian K. Zahra
Zahra was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to the Michigan Supreme Court on Jan. 14, 2011. The people of Michigan subsequently elected him in November 2012 to a partial term and then re-elected him in November 2014 to a full term.
During his time on the bench, Zahra has demonstrated a commitment to the rule of law. Time and again the opinions Justice Zahra drafts show his ability to look at the language of the law and apply it to the situation in front of him.
Most recently, Justice Zahra wrote the opinion in James Twp. v. Rice, a Right to Farm Act opinion that solidified the ability for farmers who are successful in defending their farms against nuisance claims and government action to receive reimbursement for the legal fees they were forced to incur.
In 2020, when Michigan was tiring of the illegal lockdowns and exhausted from the repeated oversteps of the Whitmer administration, Justice Zahra sided with Justice Markman in the majority opinion that struck down the Emergency Powers of the Governors Act — a statute that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer used repeatedly to lock down small businesses, schools and greenhouses.
Justice Zahra received his undergraduate degree in 1984 from Wayne State University. To finance his education, he opened and operated a small health and personal care retail store in downtown Detroit. Justice Zahra later opened a grocery outlet, also in Detroit, with two partners.
In 1987, he graduated with honors from the University of Detroit School of Law. Upon graduation he served as law clerk to Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan before joining and eventually becoming a partner in the law firm of Dickinson, Wright, Moon, Van Dusen and Freeman.
In 1994, Gov. John Engler appointed him to the Wayne County Circuit Court, where in 1996 he was elected to a six-year term.
In December of 1998, he was appointed to the Michigan Court of Appeals by Engler. He was elected to six-year terms in 2000 and 2006. From December 2005 to January 2007, he served as the Court of Appeals’ Chief Judge Pro-Tem.
Zahra resides in Northville Township with his wife, Suzanne, and their two children.
Paul Hudson
Hudson is a leading Michigan appellate lawyer, husband and father, accomplished athlete, and homegrown Michigander. He grew up on the ballfields of metro Detroit and is the grandson of legendary Michigan State University football coach Duffy Daugherty.
Hudson leads the Appellate Practice Group of one of the best-known, respected law firms in the state of Michigan, Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone PLC. In that role, he has argued more than 150 cases in the Michigan appeals courts, making him one of the most experienced appellate lawyers ever to run for the Michigan Supreme Court.
Hudson got his law degree, with honors, from Georgetown Law, where he served on the law review, and a degree in government and philosophy from Cornell University. Before launching his appellate career, Hudson clerked for Judge Raymond Kethledge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, one of the most widely-respected federal judges in the nation.
Hudson’s judicial philosophy is a simple one — judges should be fair and neutral “umpires,” just calling balls and strikes, and should treat everyone who appears before them with dignity and respect. A good judge faithfully applies the rules as written — fairly, consistently and doesn’t make up the rules or change them mid-game.
As one of Michigan’s most experienced appellate lawyers, he knows firsthand that for the system to work Michigan needs judges who make decisions based on the law — not personal opinions or beliefs. He understands that a vibrant and prosperous Michigan requires a justice system that is impartial, fair, and consistent.
As a Michigan Supreme Court Justice, Hudson will bring a principled and fresh perspective to Michigan’s highest court. His passion for the rule of law and commitment to the Constitution will ensure the rights and freedoms of people all over Michigan are protected for decades to come.
Hudson lives in Kalamazoo with his wife, a college professor with a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering, and two children.
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