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16 judged didn't run for re-election last year and another 12 didn't run in 2010 because they were 70 or older.
Michigan judges would no longer have their retirements set in stone under a bill passed Tuesday in the Senate Judiciary committee. The bill must pass both full chambers and would then need to be approved by voters. The state's constitution prohibits judges from running for re-election or being appointed to a judicial vacancy once they've turned 70 years old.
