LANSING, MI (AP)-- Michael Cavanagh is retiring from the Michigan Supreme Court as the second-longest justice in state history.
His 32-year tenure led to his participation in just over 2,000 opinions in which the court typically set legal precedents.
His first year on the court, he wrote a unanimous decision expanding the power of appellate courts to review criminal sentences.
Cavanagh says he wants to be remembered as a fair judge not "slavishly locked into a particular point of view" but "open-minded enough to entertain opposing views."
Wednesday was the East Lansing resident's last day. He was succeeded by Richard Bernstein, a fellow Democratic nominee to the Republican-controlled court.
The 74-year-old Cavanagh could not seek another eight-year term because the state constitution bars judicial candidates from running once they turn 70.