Gillespie makes the comment below. The passage says the reason iwas so that the people would not go sacrifice. Do other sources say so that they would not go up to have the Sanhedrin judge their hard cases?
"It was the love of a crown that made Jeroboam set up his calves, and make another altar, and other priests, and erect that independent church of his, which should not go up with their hard cases to the Sanhedrim at Jerusalem" [1 Kings 12:26–33.]
"It was the love of a crown that made Jeroboam set up his calves, and make another altar, and other priests, and erect that independent church of his, which should not go up with their hard cases to the Sanhedrim at Jerusalem" [1 Kings 12:26–33.]