Appointed by Bill Clinton Preceded by Barbara K. Hackett | Name George Steeh Succeeded by Laurie J. Michelson | |
Alma mater University of Michigan
University of Michigan Law School Education University of Michigan, University of Michigan Law School | ||
George Caram Steeh III (born 1947) is a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
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Education and career
Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Steeh received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1969 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School in 1973. He worked in the Genesee County Prosecutor's Office from 1973 to 1980, as an assistant prosecuting attorney from 1973 to 1978, and as a first assistant prosecuting attorney from 1978 to 1980. He was in private practice in Michigan from 1980 to 1988, also serving as a public administrator of Macomb County from 1986 to 1989. He was a judge on the 41-B District Court, State of Michigan from 1989 to 1990, and on the 16th Circuit Court of Michigan from 1990 to 1998.
Federal judicial service
On September 24, 1997, Steeh was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan vacated by Barbara K. Hackett. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 13, 1998, and received his commission on May 22, 1998. He assumed senior status on January 29, 2013.
Notable case
In October 2010, he was the first of several federal court judges to hear a case concerning the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. The main question here is whether the Commerce Clause of the Constitution of the United States gives the United States Congress the authority to buy any commercial product, which in this case is health insurance. Steeh ruled that the Act is constitutional, writing: "These decisions, viewed in the aggregate have clear and direct impacts on health care providers, taxpayers and the insured population who ultimately pay for the care provided to those who go without insurance," and that choosing not to obtain health insurance qualifies as an example of "activities that substantially affect interstate commerce." According to the Supreme Court of the United States, if a federal law arbitrates activities that substantially affect interstate commerce, then that law complies with the Commerce Clause.
Personal
Steeh's father, George C. Steeh, served in the Michigan Legislature and as a district court judge in Macomb County.