Michigan Supreme Court sets disqualification rules

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan Supreme Court justices have put into a formal order rules for determining whether they should be removed from cases because of conflicts of interest.

The order issued Wednesday is based on rules approved by a 4-3 vote earlier this month.

The entire Supreme Court could review motions to dismiss an individual justice in some cases.

The court previously had an unwritten tradition of leaving it up to each justice to decide if he or she should step aside.

Supporters say the new written rules eliminate a shroud of secrecy over the proceedings.

But critics say the new rules erode justices' constitutional protections to hear cases and make it too easy for justices to remove their peers from a particular case.