float:right; 17th Circuit Court - Kent County, Michigan 2023 www.freep.com. A primary election occurred on August 2, 2016. width: 150px; Feaster: I respect Flints rich history and I have dedicated my career to contributing to its future. Christenseon: During my 20-year career I have practiced at every judicial level in Michigan, and I have had the opportunity to learn from Judges across our State. To learn more about judicial selection in Michigan, click here. font-size: 1.2em; But the Court of Appeals reversed the Circuit Court's decision and ruled in favor of the City Council. She is a former member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Flint Board of Directors. } [3] Sitting judges who reach age 70 are allowed to serve out the remainder of their term. margin-top: 1px; Judges make decisions about peoples lives daily. Previously, he was a director for the Institute for New Democracies for Uzbekistan and senior litigation counsel for the federal public defender office. background-color: #f9d334; 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. It will help them keep their pulse on the residents they serve so that they are staying relevant. Judge Sima Patel* CIRCUIT COURT. 2.1.1 Selection of the chief judge; 2.2 Election rules. Back to Top . This is not necessarily what the State Court Administrators Office is paying attention to. [3], Qualifications I have worked in the prosecutors office, as a judicial clerk and now as a criminal defense attorney. Michigan Probate Courts, Courts in Michigan Michigan judicial elections Judicial selection in Michigan. font-weight: bold; The impact of COVID on the justice system will require new methods of operating for safety and efficiency. Box 20126, . 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. 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. In establishing the Community Action Committee I have organized countless community activities. } The success of my prior judicial campaign is a demonstration of my work ethic and viability as a judicial candidate. Many of the Courts are streamlining and lessening the amount of Court appearances. .widget-value { .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { 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. If you are interested in receiving MAJ's endorsement please go to our candidate endorsement page. 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. She is a Soup Kitchen volunteer and a Red Cross blood donor. [1][2] He took office on August 10, 2009. 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. background-color: white; I hear cases on blight and enforce city ordinances designed to eliminate our citys blight problem. I created the City of Flints Blight Court and I have served as the Blight Court Judge. The Michigan Court of Appeals decision is at best an unlikely and implausible conclusion clearly contradicting the ruling of the Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Toia, Fouts said in a lengthy response. 2020 Election Season; 2022 Election Season; 2024 Election Season; Candidates; Contributors; Committees; Payees; Lobbying; Search. If not, should they be put in place and shared? To your knowledge, have the courts established any benchmarks to determine if they are effectively meeting the needs of their jurisdiction? The unrest comes from hundreds of years of institutional racism that has plagued our history. He has worked as a licensed attorney for 13 years and was a Flint Blight Court judge for two years. Fouts said Warren residents should be able to decide who will be mayor. Denenfeld, Paul J. "Buffa is hereby ordered to immediately disqualify Mayor Fouts as a candidate for mayor in 2023 and not place his name on the ballot for election," the Court of Appeals' opinion said. 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. All judicial candidates are interviewed by the MAJ Judicial Qualifications Committee. She is on the MIDC arraignment team and has represented defendants on misdemeanor and felony warrants and misdemeanor cases through trial. This will help eliminate issues with implicit bias, racism, and sexism. Fouts, Papandrea, City Council President Pat Green, state Rep. Lori Stone and Macomb County Commissioner Michelle Nard have filed to run for mayor. He received 31.42 percent of the vote.[5]. Voters in 2020 approved a city charter amendment that a mayor may serve only three four-year terms, or 12 years, like other elected officials in the city. width: 100%; 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. How could the judicial system better serve the public - in cost, in service, and/or in outcomes? Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023).More:Warren Mayor Jim Fouts eligible to be on city ballot, judge rules, More:Warren Mayor Jim Fouts files to run for 5th term despite term limit amendment. [5], If two or more candidates in a race receive the same number of votes, the election is to be decided by lot. margin-bottom: 0; I have served as a volunteer mediator and contributed countless hours of pro bono work. Michigan Court of Appeals width: 250px; Access to the court system and monitoring the effectiveness and efficiency of the court should be available to everyone. .courts-header { font-size:150%;background-color:#334aab;color:white;} 17th Circuit Court, Michigan - Ballotpedia The candidates are (from top left) Chris Christenson, Herman Marable Jr., Jessica Hammon, Dawn Weier, Torchio Feaster, and Tabitha Marsh. %%EOF .widget-row.Libertarian { 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. Christenson was raised in Flint and lives in Grand Blanc. font-weight: bold; Ballotpedia features 408,485 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. [1], Prior to joining the court, Denenfeld was an attorney with LaGrand & Denenefld. The supreme court may authorize persons who have been elected and served as judges to perform judicial duties for limited periods or specific assignments. 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. What attributes/qualifications do you possess that make you the best choice for this court? Marable Jr.: The State Court Administrators Office (SCAO) uses a benchmark system for Michigan courts. [1], .courts-container { background-color:#fcfcfc; width:100%; border:1px solid black;padding:5px;text-align:center;clear:both; } 3rd (Wayne) - John C. Gillis* 3rd (Wayne) - Nicholas Hathaway* 6th (Oakland) - Amanda Shelton* 10th (Saginaw) - Megan Cottington-Heath. Judges - Kent County, Michigan YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Judge Denenfeld is assigned to the Civil/Criminal Division of the Circuit Court. You cannot adequately understand where a person is today without understanding where they came from. Please explain. I have represented clients in every type of case litigated in District Court. Health Department. .infobox p { 67th District courts are limited jurisdiction courts, authorized under state statute, with jurisdiction over Genesee County, including the City of Flint. I have been fully engaged in the community, and that connection has made me a better and more effective judge. Support local journalism. } . Michigan Court of Appeals This is more efficient, reduces costs, lessens court appearances and litigants do not have to miss as much work. Legislative candidate endorsements are based on voting records for incumbents and a comprehensive candidate questionnaire. [3], Denenfeld was re-elected (along with James Robert Redford and George Buth) in the general election on November 2, 2010. Each candidate was asked to outline their stances on a variety of public policy issues. Michigan Court of Appeals "We conclude that the relevant charter sections failure to specify that time in office before the 2020 amendment will be counted does not make them ambiguous. display: inline-block; This decision, once again, corrects their unlawful actions." The candidate filing deadline for incumbents was March 21, and the deadline for non-incumbents was April 19. Paul Denenfeld - Ballotpedia Knowing a persons history sheds light on their environment, nurturing (or lack thereof), adequacies, inadequacies, gifts, talents, struggles, family, etc. width: 43%; There is no substitute for the community and legal experience I bring to the courtroom. Circuit courts are the trial courts with the broadest powers in Michigan. } 3094 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<7F570A21EA581B439EAD5FE7DF210981>]/Index[3066 51]/Info 3065 0 R/Length 126/Prev 344584/Root 3067 0 R/Size 3117/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream Feaster: The system has failed the community in many ways from jurors to sentencing. Nor do we find dispositive the fact that the 'terms served prior' language was not in the ballot proposal question itself, where the language actually was on the ballot within the proposal section," according to the ruling. I am also highly organized, extremely detail-oriented, and able to work on multiple projects and transactions simultaneously. MAJ Endorsements - The Michigan Association for Justice The courts need to stay relevant to the times. Weier: I believe the greatest challenge to justice/public accountability is moving court cases forward in a timely fashion. background-color: #f9f9f9; This judge is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates. Working with state court officials, we must use virtual technology, specialty dockets, and other tools to serve the public. Macomb County Circuit Judge Joseph Toia wrote that "the evidence presented demonstrates that the ballot language and Charter are not clear on whether previous terms served are counted towards the current term limits." In addition, I am the only candidate who has quasi-judicial experience. background-color: green; Applicants may be interviewed by the MAJ Judicial Qualifications Committee. 738 W. Grand River Ave, Suite N I have strong morals and ethics, integrity, and I am naturally energetic, involved, and visible. 0 Hammon: I previously worked as the attorney representative in the Adolescent Recovery Court. Christina Elmore. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. [3], Qualifications 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. I will not have to learn how to be a judge. 17th Circuit Court, Michigan - Ballotpedia width: 250px; Using tools such as Alternate Dispute Resolution and Mediation the courts can encourage participants to work to resolve their differences earlier in the process, saving them time, money and stress. I have more than 18 years experience being an attorney. Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2018; 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. Nevertheless, I think this is something the courts should establish. [5], If two or more candidates in a race receive the same number of votes, the election is to be decided by lot. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. .widget-row { Community forums are a way to help establish the benchmarks and gauge whether or not what is being done is effective. The 221 judges of the Michigan Circuit Courts are selected in an identical manner, each serving six-year terms. font-weight: bold; 3066 0 obj <> endobj margin-bottom: 1px; from Western Michigan University and a J.D. If there are more than twice the number of candidates than there are judgeships up for election, the race will appear on the primary election ballot. I adhere to the proposition that judges should serve the public in a respectful manner and treat everyone that comes before the Court with respect. The district courts are responsible for parking citations, traffic violations, criminal misdemeanors, preliminary examinations in felony cases, landlord-tenant, small claims, and general civil cases. 2.2.1 Primary election; 2.2.2 General election; 2.2.3 Ties; 2.3 Footnotes; Circuit Court. Michigan District Courts This also ensures that cases are proceeding in a timely manner. 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. 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. It would not be the first time the Michigan Supreme Court took up a case pertaining to term limits in Warren. 26. 3116 0 obj <>stream 1.1 Judges; 1.2 Former judges; 1.3 See also; 1.4 External links; 2 Elections. [4], The chief judges of the circuit courts are appointed by the state supreme court to two-year terms. 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. font-weight: bold; The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties. My length of time as an attorney coupled with my experience in District Court qualifies me for this position.
} 2022 Michigan Official General Candidate Listing - 11/08/2022 Jim Fouts ineligible to seek 5th term as Warren mayor, Michigan Court [1], .courts-container { background-color:#fcfcfc; width:100%; border:1px solid black;padding:5px;text-align:center;clear:both; } Access to justice is a must to ensure accountability. In the nonpartisan primary, the two candidates who receive the greatest number of votes advance to the general election. Incumbent. .widget-row.Republican { 17th Circuit Court, Michigan. clear: both; This makes it extremely difficult for the Court to get through the volume of cases before it. 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. Candidates are placed on the ballot via nonpartisan primaries or by nominating petitions. Hammon: The greatest challenge to justice and public accountability of all governmental units is transparency. This is the reason that I suggested that judges attend community forums and events. Article 6, 26 Circuit court commissioners and justices of the peace, abolition; courts of limited jurisdiction. ", He said the administration "has been playing games with term limits for over a decade. from Western Michigan University and a J.D. }, Paul Denenfeld is a judge of the 17th Circuit Court in Kent County, Michigan. He is a graduate of Roeper School in Oakland County. padding-left: 10px; Courts must be accessible to all whether you are rich or poor. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. Heres a look at how the candidates responded to questions on some key issues. I am dedicated, diligent, and business minded. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. Sec. COVID is a watershed event that will force changes that will impact our courts indefinitely. The 2020 vote didnt affect Fouts fourth, four-year term, which began in 2019, but it did appear that he would be unable to seek a fifth term. .widget-row.Democratic {
In general, circuit courts handle all civil cases with claims of more than $25,000 and all felony criminal cases. The current jury system disenfranchises poor people, the elderly, and those who are not technologically savvy. Hammon: The 67th District Court, with the assistance of the State Court Administrators office conducts yearly audits that are available to the public. f. 517.321.4694, {{#if featuredimages.homepage}} {{featuredimages.homepage.url}}{{else}} /userassets/MI/MI/userimages/DefaultBlogImage.jpeg{{/if}}. 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. They argued that Fouts is ineligible to run because of term limits approved by voters in 2020. } float: right; } 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. The council has achieved a TKO in denying a competitive election in November. color: white; 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. I have served both the legal and greater community in many roles throughout my years of practice. Michigan Circuit Court Candidates for three judicial races in Genesee County are pictured in these submitted photos. Genesee County voters will decide between judicial candidates - mlive Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. The Circuit Court ruled in favor of City Clerk Sonja Buffa and the Warren Election Commission, which . Jail overcrowding has long been an issue as many with felony warrants are not lodged at the Genesee County Jail. Christenson: Transparency is the greatest challenge to justice and accountability. He worked as an intern at the Genesee County Prosecutors Office and worked as a judicial advisory assistant to Genesee Probate Judge Jennie Barkey. 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. We as the judiciary must strive to make all things we do transparent to all. The Court's activities are divided into the following functions: Such specialty courts are a great tool to help our citizens learn to better themselves and contribute to our society. 16th (Macomb) - Judge Teri Lynn Dennings. Michigan District Courts We can go a long way to restoring the confidence in the court system by being completely transparent and showcasing the integrity of the courts. margin: auto; color: white; display: inline-block; To be elected to either of these courts, a judge must:[3]. I would plan to stagger the appearances in my courtroom so that all parties could more efficiently plan their days. .top_disclaimer { If there are more than twice the number of candidates than there are judgeships up for election, the race will appear on the primary election ballot. They can make an application to appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court, which could happen as early as next week. [4] Incumbent Paul Denenfeld and incumbent George Jay Quist were unopposed in the 17th Circuit general election (2 open seats). If elected, I would continue this practice as it benefits all involved. Feaster has a bachelors degree from Eastern Michigan University and received his juris doctorate from the University of Dayton School of Law. background-color: grey; Making fair decisions as a judge is truly a skill that takes years to develop. Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. In addition, we need bond reform to consistently address the issue of bond to ensure that people are not housed in the jail unnecessarily. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Friday that Warren Mayor Jim Fouts is not eligible to run this year for another term. 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.". 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. 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. He was appointed to this position by Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm on July 22, 2009, to succeed Steven Mitchell Pestka. border:1px solid #FFB81F; 17th Circuit Court, Michigan - Ballotpedia 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. GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Six candidates are vying for three judicial seats in contested races Nov. 3 in the county. I believe in treating people fairly and with respect. More:4 of Warren's longest serving councilmen knocked off ballot again. Phone Directory . .widget-row.value-only.black { Paul Denenfeld is a judge of the 17th Circuit Court in Kent County, Michigan.He was appointed to this position by Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm on July 22, 2009, to succeed Steven Mitchell Pestka. However, I think this critical to allow for continuous quality improvement and to ensure that the judicial system is helping to meet the goals of the community. This year, MLive Media Group partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide candidate information for readers. 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. } Candidates are placed on the ballot via nonpartisan primaries or by nominating petitions. The 221 judges of the Michigan Circuit Courts are selected in an identical . The 221 judges of the . Jeff Schroder, an attorney representing the City Council, said "we're very pleased with the court's decision because it upheld the will of the voters who approved a term limit amendment by over 67% of the vote in 2020. } } All rights reserved. Ballotpedia does not currently cover this office or maintain this page. Hammon: I have always valued justice, integrity, honesty, and contribution to my community. font-size: .9em; He said the Court of Appeals chose to ignore past Supreme Court opinions and allow an unclear and clearly unconstitutional opinion to be given.. font-weight: bold; } 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]. Marsh: I believe that social injustice is the greatest challenge to justice. Lansing, MI 48933 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. display: inline-block; Weier: One issue that I have experienced as an attorney representing clients, is the client misses work and as a result, loses income. Michigan 17th District Court Election - Transparency USA In Genesee Circuit Court (7th Circuit Court), Genesee District Judge Harman Marable . from the University of Cincinnati. 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. padding-left: 10px; At the end of the day, it is critical that justice and Constitutional rights are not sacrificed in this changing environment. endstream endobj startxref color: black; 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. 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 . Marsh received an associates degree, graduating Summa Cum Laude, from Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. They are chosen in nonpartisan elections and must face re-election if they wish to continue serving. This begins by providing the public with the tools to confirm that fair and equal justice apply to everyone. text-align: center; [3], Denenfeld holds a B.A. 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. .widget-row.value-only { Weier: The State Court Administrators Office monitors the judges dockets to ensure they are running efficiently.