RICHARD BERNSTEIN

He spent 14 years in prison served prison time for armed robbery and felony assault before being released on parole in 2008. Like Martel, Gant was sentenced for a violent crime, spending over 20 years in a Michigan Department of Corrections facility. Also, like Martel, Gant said he knew the importance of seeking out education and skills that would improve his life upon his release. Over the last several years, Gant has become an author, entrepreneur, father and director of policy and program operations with Nation Outside, a criminal justice reform organization made up of those affected by the criminal justice system. As for Martel, Gant said he supports him and is confident he’ll have more opportunities lined up soon.

Morning 4 is a quick roundup of stories we think you should know about to start your day.

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein has apologized to a fellow justice after criticizing her decision to hire an ex-convict to serve as a clerk.

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein has apologized to Justice Kyra Harris Bolden for criticizing her decision to hire a man who had served prison time for armed robbery as a law clerk. “Today, I apologized to my colleague Justice Kyra Harris Bolden in-person at the Hall of Justice and she has accepted my apology,” Bernstein said in a statement released Monday evening. “I regret overstepping Justice Bolden’s hiring process and should not have disturbed her ability to lead her Chambers.”“I would also like to apologize to Mr. Peter Martel,” he said. He spent 14 years in prison before being released in 2008. Martel resigned hours after The Detroit News reported on his hiring and quoted Bernstein, who campaigned with Bolden, saying he was “completely disgusted” by her decision

Newly appointed Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kyra Harris Bolden hired a former convict as a law clerk. He also went on to earn a law degree, found a job with the State Appellate Defender Office and enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of Michigan. “He did not want to be a distraction or in any way divert the Court from its important work. I respect his decision and do not intend to comment further.”Bolden joined the court this week. She ran unsuccessfully for an open seat last year, losing narrowly to Justice Brian Zahra but was then appointed by Gov.

Voters have reelected two Michigan Supreme Court justices, maintaining the Democratic Party’s 4-3 majority.

Justices Richard Bernstein and Brian Zahra will be sitting on the Michigan Supreme Court for the next eight years. Supreme Court candidates are nonpartisan but political parties do choose nominees. Related: Politics have no place on the bench, party-nominated Michigan Supreme Court candidates sayFirst appointed by Gov. He believes the Michigan Supreme Court should ensure greater access to both the criminal and civil justice systems. Related: Departing chief justice hopes for ‘younger and more diverse’ Michigan Supreme CourtThe Michigan Supreme Court will be getting a new appointed justice later this year.

Democrats decry GOP lawsuits challenging voting in Detroit, Flint

ANN ARBOR, MI – A Michigan-Michigan State gameday tradition has returned after a two-year hiatus, leveraging the intense rivalry between the two schools’ football to help students with disabilities at both schools. Students and staff from both schools’ centers for students with disabilities joined the group in the last several miles. Event director Michelle O’Kelly celebrated the camaraderie that the race brings to what is normally a heated rivalry between the schools. “Events such as this, supported by two institutions, supported by the ROTC, supported by families, supported by students, student athletes, and communities are demonstrating that disability doesn’t mean inability,” he said. Kellie Dean, whose transportation company helped ferry ROTC cadets from Ann Arbor to East Lansing around midnight to start the event, presented the organizations that benefit from Alex’s Great State Race with a $5,000 check.

A blind Michigan judge went for a drive and a sheriff rode shotgun.

A blind Michigan judge went for a drive and a sheriff rode shotgun.

State Board of EducationBoth Pamela L. Pugh and Mitchell Robinson were each tapped Saturday as the Dem’s choice for the State Board of Education. Robinson is an associate professor of music education at Michigan State University and is the coordinator of the Music Student Teaching Program at the institution. University Governing BoardsDuring festivities Saturday, another six individuals were solidified as the party’s choice for university governing boards at Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and at Wayne State University. Kelly, too, is seeking reelection to her respective university board, with her first term on WSU’s Board of Governors beginning in 2015. She also previously served on the Michigan Court of Appeals for eight years, first elected in 1988, and on the Michigan Board of Education for 12 years.

The Michigan Supreme Court says the practice of fingerprinting people without probable cause or a warrant is unconstitutional.

The state Supreme Court was the last stop for Perry Johnson and Michael Markey, who were doomed by forged signatures apparently created by paid circulators without the candidates' knowledge.

DETROIT – It was mostly incumbents who walked away with endorsements from the Michigan Democratic Party this weekend. Led by Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes, the party endorsed a round of candidates for offices of Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Supreme Court, Michigan Board of Education; and university boards for Michigan State University, University of Michigan and Wayne State University. The party endorsed Justice Richard Bernstein and State House Representative Kyra Harris Bolden for election to the Michigan State Supreme Court. Bernstein in eyeing a second term on the bench, while Bolden is serving her second term representing Michigan’s 35th House District. For the Michigan State Board of Trustees, Renee Knake Jefferson and Dennis Denno received the state Democratic Party’s endorsements.

LANSING, MI — The Michigan Supreme Court struck down parts of a Republican-led 2018 law Monday that made collecting signatures for voter-led ballot initiatives more difficult. The Michigan Supreme Court struck down parts of the 2018 law, which limited the proportion of signatures ballot initiatives collected to 15% per Congressional district and added an affidavit requirement and checkbox distinguishing paid circulators. It held up, however, a requirement that circulators check a box on petitions saying whether they are paid. Justice Richard Bernstein agreed with the majority opinion in large part but dissented to the checkbox requirement. Nessel determined several parts of the law, including the cap on valid signatures from each congressional district, to be unconstitutional.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Grand Rapids police violated two Black teens’ constitutional rights against unreasonable search and seizure by taking their photographs and fingerprints despite no charges being filed, an ACLU attorney told the state Supreme Court. An attorney for the Police Department said officers had reasonable suspicion to stop and identify the teens – in separate instances – who carried no identification. Related: Police accused of targeting minorities for photos, fingerprints cleared in courtDan Korobkin, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, said that taking fingerprints is supposed to happen during the booking process at jail, after an arrest. Related: Case against Grand Rapids police for targeting Black youth heads to Michigan Supreme CourtAttorney Elizabeth Fossel, representing the Police Department, said police had reasonable suspicion to act and were investigating possible crimes. Police only asked for prints and photos of the teens because they had no other way to identify them, she said.

Inmates at a Flint-area jail got a pep talk from an unlikely visitor: a Michigan Supreme Court justice.

FLINT, MI – Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein was surrounded by cinder block walls and 24 people in orange jumpsuits. The program, which aims to break the cycle of generational incarceration negatively affecting families and communities, is made possible through the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office in partnership with Mt. The judge also told inmates of his more difficult experiences. The more difficult or painful experiences aren’t given to us to enjoy life or make the most out of them. We should look to use those difficult experiences to do something impactful,” Bernstein said.

Here’s more on the latest developments in Michigan politics:Auditor General to study COVID-19 deaths at long-term care facilitiesMichigan’s Auditor General is launching a comprehensive study of reported and unreported COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities in Michigan at the request of a Republican lawmaker. Hertel said her department would need more data from facilities not specifically classified as nursing homes, which is not a state requirement. Attorney General investigating those profiting from election liesMichigan’s Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Michigan State Police will investigate those who have profited from unfounded claims about the 2020 election, her office confirmed Thursday. Michigan Republicans argued the travel affected Bernstein’s ability to hear proceedings and questioned his commitment to the state’s highest court. “I am here to celebrate today with you under the oaks, where the Republican Party was founded,” Craig said.

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein is home after a six-month mission to develop policies affecting people with disabilities in the United Arab Emirates and Israel. Michigan Republicans argued the travel affected Bernstein’s ability to hear proceedings and questioned his commitment to the state’s highest court. Supreme Court justices are nonpartisan, but political parties nominate candidates. He said he maintained a rigorous schedule to fulfill his duties on the Supreme Court from a different time zone. READ MORE ON MLIVE:Michigan Supreme Court Justice Bernstein said he’s working ‘harder than ever’ after three months abroadBlind marathon-running lawyer, a Detroit native, makes history with Michigan Supreme Court win

A clash over the Michigan Constitution hit the state's highest court Monday as a commission that must draw seats for Congress and the Legislature asked for new deadlines to produce maps because of a delay in detailed census data.

In midst of the conflict in Israel, Michigan State Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein is there working on portions of the Abraham Accords to try to help those with disabilities.

In Dubai since early January, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein mingled with kings and strolled the Persian Gulf boardwalk. All the while, Bernstein issued Supreme Court decisions and participated in oral arguments back home, virtually, courtesy of the videoconferencing website Zoom. “If I can get my work done, why would you not take advantage of a unique opportunity that would promote real change.”The Michigan Supreme Court is currently closed and conducting oral arguments remotely. The justice said he was getting ready for an overnight review of Supreme Court cases. “I think we better hold on because that might mean Justice Bernstein got disconnected,” McCormack said.

"Bubbles show up in a number of different formats, and this is a classic," the Richard Bernstein Advisors CEO and CIO told CNBC's " Trading Nation " on Wednesday. Institutional Investor Hall of Famer Richard Bernstein warns retail investors will pay a big price for getting caught up in speculative trades. But they're divorced from fundamentals due to short squeezes. Bernstein believes the craze isn't a market-wide phenomenon and says the short squeezes are sparking significant opportunities in areas garnering less attention. "The most attractive part of the equity markets right now globally is the energy sector," Bernstein said.

Institutional Investor Hall of Famer Richard Bernstein sees a risky market dynamic. "The whole innovation disruption thing is becoming a sucker's bet," the Richard Bernstein Advisors CEO and CIO told CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Wednesday. Bernstein, who has spent decades on Wall Street and ran strategy for Merrill Lynch, has been bearish on technology. Last year, he told "Trading Nation" the tech rally showed parallels to the dot-com bubble. "Right now, the sector that has the highest earnings growth projections by analysts for 2021 is the energy sector.

Institutional Investor Hall of Famer Richard Bernstein sees troublesome activity within the market surge. "Narrow leadership is an end-of-cycle event," the Richard Bernstein Advisors CEO and CIO told CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Thursday. "Early cycles are dominated by broad market leadership." He uses the tech-heavy Nasdaq's outperformance versus the Russell 2000 as a harbinger — referring to it as a dramatic and "very bearish sign for the economy and corporate profits." In a special note to CNBC, Bernstein wrote "... narrow leadership isn't a sign of economic or profits strength.

CBS Detroit – After the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that Governor Whitmer’s executive orders were unconstitutional under the 1945 Emergency Powers Act, the Governor appealed for clarification that she had a transition window until October 30 to work with the legislature before the court’s orders took effect. In his dissent, Berstein had concerns about the “prospect of discontinued unemployment benefits”, as Whitmer’s now-unconstitutional executive orders provided for another six weeks of unemployment benefits. According to the Detroit News, the Mackinac Center for Public policy is currently reviewing the legality of orders issued by MDHHS. We are currently looking at the legality of the governor’s latest actions.”In the Michigan Supreme Court ruling, the court emphasized that it leaves the governor many open avenues to work with the Legislature “in a cooperative spirit and constitutional manner to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Because a Grand Rapids federal district court asked the Michigan Supreme Court for clarification on a case before it, the state’s Supreme Court’s decision is final, and there is no avenue for Governor Whitmer to pursue the matter to the United States Supreme Court. The Michigan Legislature hasn’t passed any law or resolution on how to combat COVID-19 yet.

LANSING, MI -- The Michigan Supreme Court issued two rulings Monday reversing a lower court’s opinion that supported Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s use of executive action during the coronavirus pandemic and denying Whitmer’s request to delay the impact of removing her emergency powers. The governor argued Michigan workers could lose unemployment benefits while losing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Whitmer asks Supreme Court to clarifyChief Justice Bridget McCormack wrote in a concurring opinion the court does not have the authority to grant Whitmer’s request. Bernstein cited the loss of unemployment benefits that were expanded under one of Whitmer’s orders.

BIRMINGHAM, Mich. A Michigan Supreme Court Justice tried to get his absentee ballot in Birmingham this week and get assistance filling it out, but things didnt go smoothly. Justice Richard Bernstein is the first blind justice, elected by voters statewide, to the Michigan Supreme Court. Bernstein was elected to the Michigan Supreme Court in November 2014. Bernstein was turned away because workers in the clerks office didnt know how to get him his absentee ballot. READ: Michigan Department of State launches online absentee voter applicationYou go online today and there is no choice to get an absentee ballot, attorney Jason Turkish said.

Market turbulence is expected to remain high, though volatile moves in the past week were largely to the upside. The market's rip higher ignited a debate about whether stocks have now bottomed, and that discussion will carry on into the week ahead. Some major investors like billionaire investor Leon Cooperman and BlackRock's Rick Rieder believe stocks may have hit their lows. The big rally in stocks this week is not an unusual occurrence in a bear market, Stovall said. Stanley said the Fed may not need to buy corporate bonds for now, based on new issuance activity in that market this week.

Institutional Investor Hall of Famer Richard Bernstein is making a bearish contrarian call on earnings. Despite Wall Street's strong appetite for stocks right now, Bernstein believes there's a high probability corporate earnings will come in negative next year. "By our work, we would argue that the first half of 2020 you could actually see a full-blown profits recession." The Street is widely expecting profits to grow by as much as 7.2% through the second quarter of 2020. "They're very good at doing it once it occurs, but they've never actually forecasted one ahead of time."

DETROIT - Participants from all 50 states and more than 70 countries came to Detroit for the 2019 Detroit Free Press/TCF Bank Marathon. RELATED: Runners pack streets for Detroit Free Press/TCF Bank MarathonThe annual marathon Sunday morning had thousands running through the streets of Detroit and Windsor. After months of training, runners were thrilled to finally cross the finish line. RELATED: Victim of devastating crash beats odds to run in 2019 Detroit MarathonThe marathon has runners cross an international border twice, once over a bridge and once in a tunnel under the Detroit River. More than 26,000 runners from around the world participated and were cheered on by friends, family and fans.

Trade talks don't resume until Thursday, but Wall Street is already worried a deal can be struck. As tensions escalate, Institutional Investor hall of famer Richard Bernstein is ready to make a contrarian call on one casualty of the trade conflict the Chinese economy. "Because of trade, there's been tremendous amounts of monetary and fiscal stimulus injected into the Chinese economy. "Surprise, surprise, China is the only major economy where leading indicators very important word 'leading indicators' are accelerating," said Bernstein. It will appear in the leading indicators before it appears in GDP."

Institutional Investor hall of famer Richard Bernstein sees opportunity in safety plays. The longtime bull, who's barely overweight stocks right now, sees growth stocks outperforming economic sensitive cyclicals due to slower earnings growth. "You want to own more stable stocks, stable growth stocks," the Richard Bernstein Advisors CEO told CNBC's "Trading Nation " on Monday. He's far from the only investor who is partial to playing defense, with groups including utilities and real estate hitting records this year. "We're at the point of the cycle, though, where people generally say that stable growth is very expensive," said Bernstein, a CNBC contributor.