.widget-row.Libertarian { color: black; .widget-row.value-only { He was appointed to this position by Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm on July 22, 2009, to succeed Steven Mitchell Pestka. A primary election occurred on August 2, 2016. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. This also ensures that cases are proceeding in a timely manner. Now, as our court system faces the new reality of operating during a pandemic and recession; with backlogged dockets; a reduced capacity to operate; and almost certain budget cuts to come, it is critical we have battle tested judges who have experience in serving the public under less than ideal circumstances. Southeast MI Office: Please, 100 largest cities in America by population, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2016, Local trial court judicial elections, 2016, Michigan Trial Courts Directory: Kent County, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paul_Denenfeld&oldid=7280132, Michigan circuit court judges, 17th Circuit, Successful Michigan judicial candidates, 2010, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. .courts-container hr {background-color:#f0a236;padding-bottom:2px;}, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Michigan Supreme Court In addition, I am the only candidate who has quasi-judicial experience. In a process run by a county clerk, the candidates choose slips of paper from a box that say either "elected" or "not elected".[6]. color: black; He wrote " 'any terms of years served prior to this amendment are included' language was in the ballot's explanatory caption, but not in the 'proposal' section on the ballot or in the amended charter.". hbbd```b`` TD29`5O?`r-X}&Mo9OI_ vH/c];9D2H-`z R*lJ q g 16th (Macomb) - Judge Teri Lynn Dennings. If you are interested in receiving MAJ's endorsement please email Executive Director Steve Pontoni at spontoni@michiganjustice.org. Health Department. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Christenson: The Supreme Court Administrator does set and track benchmarks for courts to follow however, the information is not easily ascertainable. [4] Incumbent Paul Denenfeld and incumbent George Jay Quist were unopposed in the 17th Circuit general election (2 open seats). 738 W. Grand River Ave, Suite N Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter. font-weight: bold; .widget-row.Green { I will not have to learn how to be a judge. Access to justice is a must to ensure accountability. He served as chairman of legal redress for the Michigan NAACP. If not, should they be put in place and shared? Marsh: I ran for judge in 2018 and I received 53,381 votes in that race. Judge Christina Elmore was elected to the 17th Circuit Court and began her term on January 1, 2019. Lawrence Garcia, an attorney representing the city clerk and Warren Election Commission, had no comment on the ruling. I will continue to support rehabilitation programs that teach defendants in my court how to break the cycle that brought them in front of me. She is on the MIDC arraignment team and has represented defendants on misdemeanor and felony warrants and misdemeanor cases through trial. .courts-header { font-size:150%;background-color:#334aab;color:white;} background-color: white; The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. He is a graduate of Roeper School in Oakland County. Marsh: The courts are monitored by the State Court Administrators Office; however, I am not aware of the courts establishing any benchmarks to determine if they are effectively meeting the needs of their jurisdiction. . [3], Denenfeld holds a B.A. I was recognized in 2019 by Legal Services of Eastern Michigan as well as the State Bar for contributing over 100 hours of pro bono work to clients in need and so will encourage our bar to donate time to those who need assistance. [3] Sitting judges who reach age 70 are allowed to serve out the remainder of their term. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population as well as mayoral, city council, and district attorney election coverage in state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities. The Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ) endorses candidates that will fight to protect the right to a civil trial by jury, and promote a fair and effective justice system. 2.1.1 Selection of the chief judge; 2.2 Election rules. Term-limit questions have appeared in ballot questions before Warren voters in 1998, 2016 and 2020. These metrics should be selected in conjunction with the community, reviewed on a biannual basis and shared with the public. The council has achieved a TKO in denying a competitive election in November. Fouts, Papandrea, City Council President Pat Green, state Rep. Lori Stone and Macomb County Commissioner Michelle Nard have filed to run for mayor. I would utilize my experience from leading community organizations and volunteering to forge partnerships with groups that would help make offenders in my court less likely to return to crime and more likely to evolve into productive members of society. Hammon: I previously worked as the attorney representative in the Adolescent Recovery Court. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. .widget-row.Democratic { To be elected to either of these courts, a judge must:[3]. Hammon is a graduate of Atherton High School, the University of Michigan Flint and Ann Arbor campuses and Ave Maria School of Law. } Previously, he was a director for the Institute for New Democracies for Uzbekistan and senior litigation counsel for the federal public defender office. Feaster: I respect Flints rich history and I have dedicated my career to contributing to its future. I hear cases on blight and enforce city ordinances designed to eliminate our citys blight problem. ", He said the administration "has been playing games with term limits for over a decade. Incumbent. background-color: #f9f9f9; } Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The Circuit Court ruled in favor of City Clerk Sonja Buffa and the Warren Election Commission, which said Fouts was eligible for reelection this year. } You cannot adequately understand where a person is today without understanding where they came from. } [1], .courts-container { background-color:#fcfcfc; width:100%; border:1px solid black;padding:5px;text-align:center;clear:both; } I am also highly organized, extremely detail-oriented, and able to work on multiple projects and transactions simultaneously. .widget-row.value-only.white { The 221 judges of the Michigan Circuit Courts are selected in an identical manner, each serving six-year terms. Sec. This will help eliminate issues with implicit bias, racism, and sexism. To be elected to either of these courts, a judge must:[3]. This begins by providing the public with the tools to confirm that fair and equal justice apply to everyone. This judge is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates. Overview; Michigan; Races; Michigan 17th District Court; Data through 12/31/2022 Michigan 17th District Court 2022 Election Season $0 Total Contributions. Feaster: The system has failed the community in many ways from jurors to sentencing. They can make an application to appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court, which could happen as early as next week. election law stipulates that in instances where a candidate for Court of Appeals Judge, Circuit Court Judge, District Court Judge, or Probate Court Judge seeks election in a district where . Making fair decisions as a judge is truly a skill that takes years to develop. The ruling comes less than a month after a Macomb County Circuit Court judge denied a motion from the Warren City Council and Councilman Ron Papandrea that challenged Fouts' eligibility. This is more efficient, reduces costs, lessens court appearances and litigants do not have to miss as much work. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Friday that Warren Mayor Jim Fouts is not eligible to run this year for another term. .widget-row.heading { Christina Elmore. Why? Judge Denenfeld is assigned to the Civil/Criminal Division of the Circuit Court. His experience includes Wayne State University Law School Civil Rights Law Clinic and he worked as an intern labor attorney at Klimist, McKnight, Sale, McCow, and Canzano. All responses in the voter guide were submitted directly by the candidate and have not been edited by the League of Women Voters, except for a necessary cut if a reply exceeded character limitations. 22nd (Washtenaw Co) -Marla Linderman Richelew*, 45th District Court - Judge Michelle Freidman Appel, Yes on Prop 1: Voters for Transparency and Term Limits, Yes on Prop 2:Right to Voting Policies Amendment, Yes on Prop 3:Right to Reproductive Freedom, 325 S. Walnut Street Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. She is a certified civil mediator and received the Genesee County Bar Associations Brian M. Barkey Community Service Award earlier this year. be a qualified elector of his or her district; be licensed to practice law in the state; have at least five years of law practice experience; and. They argued that Fouts is ineligible to run because of term limits approved by voters in 2020. [1], .courts-container { background-color:#fcfcfc; width:100%; border:1px solid black;padding:5px;text-align:center;clear:both; } My length of time as an attorney coupled with my experience in District Court qualifies me for this position. It will help them keep their pulse on the residents they serve so that they are staying relevant. 3rd (Wayne) - John C. Gillis* 3rd (Wayne) - Nicholas Hathaway* 6th (Oakland) - Amanda Shelton* 10th (Saginaw) - Megan Cottington-Heath. Subscribeto the Free Press. I have represented clients in every type of case litigated in District Court. The 221 judges of the Michigan Circuit Courts are selected in an identical . I created the City of Flints Blight Court and I have served as the Blight Court Judge. He has been a Genesee District Court judge for 20 years, was an assistant prosecutor in Genesee County for seven years, and a district attorney in Pennsylvanias Allegheny County for more than two years. Denenfeld holds a B.A. Incumbent judicial address withheld . Endorsements for all offices are voted on by the Executive Board. Marable Jr.: I will bring experience, fairness, commitment, integrity, and diligence to the Circuit Court bench. Working with state court officials, we must use virtual technology, specialty dockets, and other tools to serve the public. All candidates for Michigan House and Senate, regardless of party, are invited to return a questionnaire and apply for an endorsement. To learn more about judicial selection in Michigan, click here. Access to justice for those who can not afford legal services or for those that have disabilities is equally important to ensure that the court system is fair to all that wish to use it. Spelling and grammar were not corrected. font-size: .9em; The candidates are (from top left) Chris Christenson, Herman Marable Jr., Jessica Hammon, Dawn Weier, Torchio Feaster, and Tabitha Marsh. . I have been fully engaged in the community, and that connection has made me a better and more effective judge. Additionally, Denenfeld has been an adjunct professor at Cooley Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, Michigan State University/Detroit College of Law, Wayne State University, and Kalamazoo Valley Community College. They are chosen in nonpartisan elections and must face re-election if they wish to continue serving. The success of my prior judicial campaign is a demonstration of my work ethic and viability as a judicial candidate. For instance, instead of having a separate date for an arraignment and a separate date for a pretrial, some Courts are combining the arraignment and pretrial into one court appearance. GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Six candidates are vying for three judicial seats in contested races Nov. 3 in the county. Michigan Probate Courts, Courts in Michigan Michigan judicial elections Judicial selection in Michigan. If there are not more than twice the amount of candidates than there are persons to be elected, the race will not appear on the primary election ballot, but only on the general election ballot. 0 font-weight: bold; I have served both the legal and greater community in many roles throughout my years of practice. margin-bottom: 1px; I have served as a volunteer mediator and contributed countless hours of pro bono work. A more consequential date, if the Michigan Supreme Court takes up the appeal, would come within the next few months. Hammon: The greatest challenge to justice and public accountability of all governmental units is transparency. color: white; Ballots will have to be finalized so they can be printed and sent to clerks by June 24, when clerks have to transmit or mail absent voter ballots to military or overseas voters who applied for one. vertical-align: top; In Genesee Circuit Court (7th Circuit Court), Genesee District Judge Harman Marable Jr. is running against attorney Chris Christensen while in Genesee District Court (67th District) races, Judge Jessica Hammon faces attorney Dawn Weier in the 2nd Division, and attorneys Torchio Feaster and Tabitha Marsh are seeking the open seat in the 5th Division.

Judges make decisions about peoples lives daily. In establishing the Community Action Committee I have organized countless community activities. In a process run by a county clerk, the candidates choose slips of paper from a box that say either "elected" or "not elected".[6]. Michigan District Courts If elected, I would continue this practice as it benefits all involved. Each candidate was asked to outline their stances on a variety of public policy issues. He took office on August 10, 2009.Denenfeld was re-elected in 2010 and 2016. What do you perceive as the greatest challenge(s) to justice/public accountability? %PDF-1.6 % Better decisions are made when theres an understanding of the person you are making a decision regarding. Denenfeld was re-elected in 2010 and 2016. background-color: green; .courts-container hr {background-color:#f0a236;padding-bottom:2px;}, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Michigan Supreme Court background-color: #f9f9f9; She has practiced law for more than 15 years and served as a Genesee County public defender, representing indigent criminal defendants in felony cases for more than 14 years. The courts have 10 elected judges, four appointed magistrates, nine probation officers and a staff of 50 employees. Candidates have until Tuesday to file for office and until April 28 to withdraw. Back to Top . Courts must be accessible to all whether you are rich or poor. [5], If two or more candidates in a race receive the same number of votes, the election is to be decided by lot. } They are chosen in nonpartisan elections and must face re-election if they wish to continue serving. . If yes, how often should they be reviewed or shared with the public? The candidate filing deadline for incumbents was March 21, and the deadline for non-incumbents was April 19. Heres a look at how the candidates responded to questions on some key issues. Fouts has not been named a party in any of the lawsuits, but the decisions by the courts directly affect him. .widget-row { width: 100%; Marsh received an associates degree, graduating Summa Cum Laude, from Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek. margin-bottom:0px; Court Judge file with the Michigan Department of State, Bureau of Elections, P.O. Five of nine Genesee County Board of Commissioner seats contested in Nov. 3 election, Genesee County clerk-register race pits incumbent John Gleason against Republican Jesse Couch, State Rep. Mueller faces challenger May in race for 51st District state House of Representatives. That term-limit situation was a seesaw battle through the courts with expedited appeals. Explain your goals. Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2017; Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2016; Michigan judicial elections, 2014; Michigan judicial elections, 2012; Michigan judicial elections, 2010; Selection method See also: Nonpartisan election of judges. if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; Ballotpedia features 408,485 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { Michigan Court of Appeals I am also a sharp and effective communicator with strong leadership and interpersonal skills. background-color: #003388; Lastly, we need to be proactive about how to address the generation that was poisoned by lead. For the first time ever, there are no judges who live in Flint (our largest city) on the Court, the entire county should be represented at the table. .infobox p { width: 43%; Hammon: I have always valued justice, integrity, honesty, and contribution to my community. He worked as an intern at the Genesee County Prosecutors Office and worked as a judicial advisory assistant to Genesee Probate Judge Jennie Barkey. background-color: red; Statewide Governor; . Legislative candidate endorsements are based on voting records for incumbents and a comprehensive candidate questionnaire. Jail overcrowding has long been an issue as many with felony warrants are not lodged at the Genesee County Jail. 2.1 Selection method. Michigan Circuit Court Many of the Courts are streamlining and lessening the amount of Court appearances. font-weight: bold; I am also of the opinion that, absent unusual circumstances, cases should progress through the legal system in a timely manner.