Candidates for three judicial races in Genesee County are pictured in these submitted photos. At the end of the day, it is critical that justice and Constitutional rights are not sacrificed in this changing environment. There are a substantial number of cases in the Courts, especially in Genesee County. Results Final. 17th Circuit Court, Michigan - Ballotpedia }, Paul Denenfeld is a judge of the 17th Circuit Court in Kent County, Michigan. Marsh: I think that the judicial system needs to always be representative of the people it is serving. Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2023, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2022, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2021, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2020, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2019, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2018, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2017, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2016, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=17th_Circuit_Court,_Michigan&oldid=9037092, 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. Hammon: I previously worked as the attorney representative in the Adolescent Recovery Court. In addition, I am the only candidate who has quasi-judicial experience. padding-left: 10px; Thus, my conclusion is that the Court of Appeals has chosen to deny the voters of Warren the right to have a choice in November. 3116 0 obj <>stream Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Better decisions are made when theres an understanding of the person you are making a decision regarding. Michigan is one of 43 states that hold elections for judicial positions. Spelling and grammar were not corrected. .widget-value { Similar crimes should warrant similar sentences but this does not always occur. The judicial system exists to help with order and it is difficult for the public/community to have confidence in the judicial system without some measurable accountability. All candidates for Michigan House and Senate, regardless of party, are invited to return a questionnaire and apply for an endorsement. I believe a judge having compassion and understanding is essential. Ballotpedia does not currently cover this office or maintain this page. Michigan Probate Courts, Courts in Michigan Michigan judicial elections Judicial selection in Michigan. I believe that any studies, assessments or audits should always be available to the public. color: black; I believe in treating people fairly and with respect. margin-bottom:0px; [4], The chief judges of the circuit courts are appointed by the state supreme court to two-year terms. This is the reason that I suggested that judges attend community forums and events. background-color: #003388; } Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. I am proud that all of my court hearings, despite the current COVID pandemic, are continuing and are streamed live so that the public can see what occurs in my courtroom. 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. [4] Incumbent Paul Denenfeld and incumbent George Jay Quist were unopposed in the 17th Circuit general election (2 open seats). 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. This year, MLive Media Group partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide candidate information for readers. Her community involvement includes State Bar of Michigan, Genesee County Bar Association, Mallory VanDyne Scott Bar Association Executive Board, Embassy Covenant Church International Presbytery Board and Ministerial Team, Flint Childrens Museum Executive Board, Flint Institute of Arts Gala Committee, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and Michigan Branch of the NAACP. } %%EOF Candidates are placed on the ballot via nonpartisan primaries or by nominating petitions. It will help them keep their pulse on the residents they serve so that they are staying relevant. } 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]. In addition, we need bond reform to consistently address the issue of bond to ensure that people are not housed in the jail unnecessarily. That experience, especially in the Circuit Court level, has shown me great, innovative ways to run a courtroom, and target areas that courts can improve to better serve residents in a more fair and equitable fashion. } The 17th Circuit Court is a circuit court in Michigan . There are 14 judges currently sitting on the 17th Circuit. margin: auto; 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. 3066 0 obj <> endobj } This is not necessarily what the State Court Administrators Office is paying attention to. I have strong morals and ethics, integrity, and I am naturally energetic, involved, and visible. The current jury system disenfranchises poor people, the elderly, and those who are not technologically savvy. Marable Jr.: There are access issues for low-and moderate-income users to our courts. Publication of candidate statements and opinions is solely in the interest of public service and should not be considered as an endorsement. Judge Christina Elmore was elected to the 17th Circuit Court and began her term on January 1, 2019. .widget-key { Denenfeld was re-elected in 2010 and 2016. background-color: green; To learn more about judicial selection in Michigan, click here. 17th Circuit Court, 61st District Court, Probate Court 180 Ottawa Avenue NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (616) 632-5220 Health. 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. Hammon: The greatest challenge to justice and public accountability of all governmental units is transparency. The supreme court may authorize persons who have been elected and served as judges to perform judicial duties for limited periods or specific assignments. He is a graduate of Roeper School in Oakland County. We cannot ignore the social unrest that is taking place in our nation at this time. He worked as an intern at the Genesee County Prosecutors Office and worked as a judicial advisory assistant to Genesee Probate Judge Jennie Barkey. from the University of Cincinnati. A primary election occurred on August 2, 2016. 2023 www.freep.com. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Friday that Warren Mayor Jim Fouts is not eligible to run this year for another term. This makes it extremely difficult for the Court to get through the volume of cases before it. background-color: grey; Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. Every defendant has the right to a jury of their peers, which means that a jury needs to reflect the make-up of the community. 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. Each court typically publishes related data on a dashboard on court websites for public view as required and monitored by SCAO. Jim Fouts ineligible to seek 5th term as Warren mayor, Michigan Court f. 517.321.4694, {{#if featuredimages.homepage}} {{featuredimages.homepage.url}}{{else}} /userassets/MI/MI/userimages/DefaultBlogImage.jpeg{{/if}}. She has been an attorney for nearly 19 years and has handled all types of cases litigated in Genesee District Court. Hammon: I have always valued justice, integrity, honesty, and contribution to my community. GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Six candidates are vying for three judicial seats in contested races Nov. 3 in the county. Kent County, Michigan. He has more than 20 years of experience as a practicing attorney in Genesee County Circuit Court and was on the Family Courts child abuse and neglect panel for seven years. Many of the Courts are streamlining and lessening the amount of Court appearances. [1], .courts-container { background-color:#fcfcfc; width:100%; border:1px solid black;padding:5px;text-align:center;clear:both; } color: white; She was the Pro-Bono Attorney of the Year for Legal Services of Eastern Michigan and provided at least 100 hours of documented pro-bono service to low income individuals and families in 2019. COVID is a watershed event that will force changes that will impact our courts indefinitely. She is currently the judge in Genesee District Courts 2nd Division and has 12 years experience in the practice of criminal, family, and child welfare law. } Spelling and grammar were not corrected. 67th District courts are limited jurisdiction courts, authorized under state statute, with jurisdiction over Genesee County, including the City of Flint. I created the City of Flints Blight Court and I have served as the Blight Court Judge. Each candidate was asked to outline their stances on a variety of public policy issues. 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. In establishing the Community Action Committee I have organized countless community activities. His community involvement includes membership in the State Bar of Michigan, Genesee County Bar Association, and Genesee County Democratic Party Executive Committee. Lawrence Garcia, an attorney representing the city clerk and Warren Election Commission, had no comment on the ruling. Article 6, 26 Circuit court commissioners and justices of the peace, abolition; courts of limited jurisdiction. width: 250px; .widget-row.value-only.white { display: inline-block; [3], Qualifications Statewide Governor; . Judge Sima Patel* CIRCUIT COURT. 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. Fouts said Warren residents should be able to decide who will be mayor. 2.2.1 Primary election; 2.2.2 General election; 2.2.3 Ties; 2.3 Footnotes; Circuit Court. font-size: 1.2em; Michigan District Courts If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. [1], Prior to joining the court, Denenfeld was an attorney with LaGrand & Denenefld. I have worked in the prosecutors office, as a judicial clerk and now as a criminal defense attorney. 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. } The judges additionally hold bi-weekly meetings to ensure we are meeting the needs of our citizens and addressing any issues that may arise. color: white; State Candidates & Proposals - Michigan You cannot adequately understand where a person is today without understanding where they came from. The courts need to stay relevant to the times. She is a former member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Flint Board of Directors. ", He expressed doubt "that I can get a fair and objective legal opinion in this court and maybe beyond?". Christenson: Transparency is the greatest challenge to justice and accountability. width: 250px; color: white; Health Department. Endorsements for all offices are voted on by the Executive Board. We can do a better job of keeping the public informed by making information about the process of the courts readily available. To your knowledge, have the courts established any benchmarks to determine if they are effectively meeting the needs of their jurisdiction? The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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]. Lastly, we need to be proactive about how to address the generation that was poisoned by lead. All responses in the voter guide were submitted directly by the candidates and have not been edited by the League of Women Voters, except for a necessary cut if a reply exceeded character limitations. The candidate filing deadline for incumbents was March 21, and the deadline for non-incumbents was April 19. font-weight: bold; .courts-header { font-size:150%;background-color:#334aab;color:white;} The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties. display: inline-block; Overview; Michigan; Races; Michigan 17th District Court; Data through 12/31/2022 Michigan 17th District Court 2022 Election Season $0 Total Contributions. Genesee County voters will decide between judicial candidates - mlive As the immediate past president of the Genesee County Bar Association, and member of the board for over 10 years, I have not only helped to ensure that our legal community is educated in the most up-to-date law but also assists our fellow citizens. font-size: .9em; Previously, he was a director for the Institute for New Democracies for Uzbekistan and senior litigation counsel for the federal public defender office. He said the Court of Appeals chose to ignore past Supreme Court opinions and allow an unclear and clearly unconstitutional opinion to be given.. . A more consequential date, if the Michigan Supreme Court takes up the appeal, would come within the next few months. vertical-align: top; from the University of Cincinnati. Circuit courts are the trial courts with the broadest powers in Michigan. color: black; Explain your goals. Fouts has not been named a party in any of the lawsuits, but the decisions by the courts directly affect him. [1][2] He took office on August 10, 2009. I have served as a volunteer mediator and contributed countless hours of pro bono work. As Judge, I will work to accomplish this goal by promptly and consistently taking the bench encouraging participants to work through their disputes to narrow the issues and providing decisions in an expeditious manner. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. background-color: red; .widget-row.Democratic { Feaster: I respect Flints rich history and I have dedicated my career to contributing to its future. Marable received his juris doctorate degree from the Ohio State University College of Law and bachelors degree from James Madison College at Michigan State University. I will not have to learn how to be a judge. Weier: The State Court Administrators Office monitors the judges dockets to ensure they are running efficiently. I am comfortable leading in a variety of settings. Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2023, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2022, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2021, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2020, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2019, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2018, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2017, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2016, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=17th_Circuit_Court,_Michigan&oldid=9037092, 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. ", He said the administration "has been playing games with term limits for over a decade. 1.1 Judges; 1.2 Former judges; 1.3 See also; 1.4 External links; 2 Elections. .courts-header { font-size:150%;background-color:#334aab;color:white;} endstream endobj startxref The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties. $0 Total Expenditures. Community forums are a way to help establish the benchmarks and gauge whether or not what is being done is effective. The judges in the 67th District Court meet frequently to discuss issues concerning the Court and its procedures. All rights reserved (About Us). display: inline-block; .top_disclaimer { Such matters include: civil cases, landlord/tenant cases, misdemeanor criminal cases and felony criminal cases. All judicial candidates are interviewed by the MAJ Judicial Qualifications Committee. 17th Circuit Judge of Circuit Court Incumbent 6 Year Terms (4) Positions: Filed On: Method: INC. 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. Weier is a Bentley Senior High School honors graduate and received her bachelors degree with honors from the University of Michigan-Flint and her juris doctorate from the University of Detroit-Mercy Law School. [3], Qualifications . If you are interested in receiving MAJ's endorsement please go to our candidate endorsement page. font-weight: bold; Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. PDF FILING REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-INCUMBENT JUDICIAL CANDIDATES - michigan.gov He received 31.42 percent of the vote.[5]. font-weight: bold; In general, circuit courts handle all civil cases with claims of more than $25,000 and all felony criminal cases. He served as chairman of legal redress for the Michigan NAACP. .widget-img { Candidates have until Tuesday to file for office and until April 28 to withdraw. Applicants may be interviewed by the MAJ Judicial Qualifications Committee. margin-bottom: 0; border:1px solid #FFB81F; Michigan Circuit Court 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. 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. Feaster has a bachelors degree from Eastern Michigan University and received his juris doctorate from the University of Dayton School of Law. Michigan Circuit Court font-size: .9em; from Western Michigan University and a J.D. Feaster: As far as I know there are not established benchmarks to evaluate the effectiveness of meeting the needs of the jurisdiction. Stage. Denenfeld holds a B.A. 738 W. Grand River Ave, Suite N This decision, once again, corrects their unlawful actions." Denenfeld, Paul J. 2.1 Selection method. Marsh: I believe that social injustice is the greatest challenge to justice. Toggle navigation 2022 Michigan Candidate Listing Date: 11/08/2022 Type: General, Official.

} color: white; I have been fully engaged in the community, and that connection has made me a better and more effective judge. Please explain. There is no substitute for the community and legal experience I bring to the courtroom. Feaster: The current system demonstrates a lack of respect for the time of those participating in the legal process. Before she was elected to this court, she was a judge on the 61st District Court for the City of Grand Rapids for almost 3 years. To learn more about judicial selection in Michigan, click here.