ABSTRACT
Robert Bork Solicitor General of the United States, Our country has sustained far greater injury from judicial timidity in vindicating citizens’ fundamental rights than from judicial courage in protecting them. The necessity of judicial intervention in the management of local government can be debated, but its existence can no longer be denied. The role of the judicial branch of government in our political and legal system is more complex than that of a referee in an athletic contest. The judiciary may also impact local-government performance by the manner in which it enforces civil and criminal laws. The judicial system in Flint consisted of three courts: district, circuit, and probate. With few exceptions, judicial rulings that affected the management process in the city of Flint had significant financial consequences. A major constraint on judicial independence in Flint was imposed by basic electoral politics. The judicial system in Flint was not totally independent of the executive and legislative branches of local government.
