Court told to handle case about judge's access to ballot

LANSING (AP) — A court has been ordered to reopen a lawsuit by a Michigan appellate judge who is trying to get around an age limit and stay in office.

Peter O’Connell can’t run for re-election in 2018 because he’ll be 70. So he’s suing the state to try to get his name on the ballot this year as an incumbent for a different seat on the appeals court. A term lasts six years.

The Court of Claims dismissed the case in March, saying it didn’t have jurisdiction. But the appeals court reversed that decision in an opinion released last Friday.

O’Connell has been told he can run but that he needs to collect signatures and can’t be listed as the incumbent.