Judge Denenfeld is assigned to the Civil/Criminal Division of the Circuit Court. .widget-key { 1 Circuit Court. I will not have to learn how to be a judge. She received a bachelors degree, graduating Cum Laude, from the University of Michigan and received her juris doctorate from Michigan State University. The judges additionally hold bi-weekly meetings to ensure we are meeting the needs of our citizens and addressing any issues that may arise. The judges in the 67th District Court meet frequently to discuss issues concerning the Court and its procedures. . 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. How could the judicial system better serve the public - in cost, in service, and/or in outcomes? 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. 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. [4], The chief judges of the circuit courts are appointed by the state supreme court to two-year terms. I would plan to stagger the appearances in my courtroom so that all parties could more efficiently plan their days. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Access to justice is a must to ensure accountability. background-color: green; To be elected to either of these courts, a judge must:[3]. [1], .courts-container { background-color:#fcfcfc; width:100%; border:1px solid black;padding:5px;text-align:center;clear:both; } This is the reason that I suggested that judges attend community forums and events. color: white; Weier: One issue that I have experienced as an attorney representing clients, is the client misses work and as a result, loses income. .widget-row.value-only { The impact of COVID on the justice system will require new methods of operating for safety and efficiency. background-color: red; width: 250px; background-color: #f9d334; A primary election occurred on August 2, 2016. Endorsements for all offices are voted on by the Executive Board. The candidate filing deadline for incumbents was March 21, and the deadline for non-incumbents was April 19. 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. We can do a better job of keeping the public informed by making information about the process of the courts readily available. I am also a sharp and effective communicator with strong leadership and interpersonal skills. COVID is a watershed event that will force changes that will impact our courts indefinitely. 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. . 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 believe a judge having compassion and understanding is essential. This begins by providing the public with the tools to confirm that fair and equal justice apply to everyone. color: white; 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 created the City of Flints Blight Court and I have served as the Blight Court Judge. I have strong morals and ethics, integrity, and I am naturally energetic, involved, and visible. There are a substantial number of cases in the Courts, especially in Genesee County. [3] Sitting judges who reach age 70 are allowed to serve out the remainder of their term. I am dedicated, diligent, and business minded. The success of my prior judicial campaign is a demonstration of my work ethic and viability as a judicial candidate. [5], If two or more candidates in a race receive the same number of votes, the election is to be decided by lot. [1][2] He took office on August 10, 2009. vertical-align: top; .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 Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. font-weight: bold; Marsh: I believe that social injustice is the greatest challenge to justice. 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. 738 W. Grand River Ave, Suite N .clearfix { } They are chosen in nonpartisan elections and must face re-election if they wish to continue serving. Phone Directory . 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. display: inline-block; Michigan Probate Courts, Courts in Michigan Michigan judicial elections Judicial selection in Michigan. But City Attorney Ethan Vinson issued an opinion that the 2020 term limits did not bar Fouts from running for a fifth term. These metrics should be selected in conjunction with the community, reviewed on a biannual basis and shared with the public. Working with state court officials, we must use virtual technology, specialty dockets, and other tools to serve the public. [5], If two or more candidates in a race receive the same number of votes, the election is to be decided by lot. [3], Qualifications Marable Jr.: As a Flint District Judge, we faced 2 financial emergencies for our funding source, (City of Flint) many mid-year budget cuts, staff layoffs and the elimination of Probation services. .widget-img { from Western Michigan University and a J.D. Information on all state and federal races and many of Michigans county and local races is available at Vote411.org, an online voter guide created by the League of Women Voters. 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. 16th (Macomb) - Judge Teri Lynn Dennings. [1], Prior to joining the court, Denenfeld was an attorney with LaGrand & Denenefld. ", He expressed doubt "that I can get a fair and objective legal opinion in this court and maybe beyond?". 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. I have more than 18 years experience being an attorney. .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 [4], The chief judges of the circuit courts are appointed by the state supreme court to two-year terms. width: 100%; Support local journalism. .widget-row.Republican { .courts-header { font-size:150%;background-color:#334aab;color:white;} 2.1 Selection method. Circuit courts are the trial courts with the broadest powers in Michigan. 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. Judges make decisions about peoples lives daily. Overview; Michigan; Races; Michigan 17th District Court; Data through 12/31/2022 Michigan 17th District Court 2022 Election Season $0 Total Contributions. Spelling and grammar were not corrected. 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. Michigan Circuit Court I choose to return to Flint to pursue my legal career so that I could serve the city that raised me and gave me the opportunity to succeed. endstream endobj startxref [3] Sitting judges who reach age 70 are allowed to serve out the remainder of their term. The courts need to stay relevant to the times. .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 display: inline-block; 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. My length of time as an attorney coupled with my experience in District Court qualifies me for this position. Candidates are placed on the ballot via nonpartisan primaries or by nominating petitions. margin: auto; 2.1.1 Selection of the chief judge; 2.2 Election rules. Lawrence Garcia, an attorney representing the city clerk and Warren Election Commission, had no comment on the ruling. To learn more about judicial selection in Michigan, click here. color: black; .widget-value { She is a certified civil mediator and received the Genesee County Bar Associations Brian M. Barkey Community Service Award earlier this year. Sec. Endorsements for all offices are voted on by the Executive Board. If not, should they be put in place and shared? .widget-row.Green { Christenson: Transparency is the greatest challenge to justice and accountability. To your knowledge, have the courts established any benchmarks to determine if they are effectively meeting the needs of their jurisdiction? 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. background-color: #003388; The 221 judges of the . She was formerly on the public defender list, representing hundreds of defendants in felony cases. They can make an application to appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court, which could happen as early as next week. } from the University of Cincinnati. This year, MLive Media Group partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide candidate information for readers. Access to the court system and monitoring the effectiveness and efficiency of the court should be available to everyone. 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. The 17th Circuit Court is a circuit court in Michigan . Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Toggle navigation 2022 Michigan Candidate Listing Date: 11/08/2022 Type: General, Official. The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties. hb```lw@(qour@x{/JM J?4X~@Q9HHt0p40t04p0h4p`5DXKEBY'3 3z0Md\4))1Sy8nIc(uK3 D8K_c` 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. It did so in 2019, making a ruling in June of that year that four veteran councilmen's names were to be off the primary ballot, reversing a Court of Appeals ruling that would have allowed the four names to be on the ballot. Stage. The 221 judges of the Michigan Circuit Courts are selected in an identical manner, each serving six-year terms. They argued that Fouts is ineligible to run because of term limits approved by voters in 2020. Legislative candidate endorsements are based on voting records for incumbents and a comprehensive candidate questionnaire. Heres a look at how the candidates responded to questions on some key issues. Marable Jr.: There are access issues for low-and moderate-income users to our courts. display: inline-block; This decision, once again, corrects their unlawful actions." .widget-row.value-only.white { It would not be the first time the Michigan Supreme Court took up a case pertaining to term limits in Warren. 67th District courts are limited jurisdiction courts, authorized under state statute, with jurisdiction over Genesee County, including the City of Flint. If elected, I would continue this practice as it benefits all involved. font-weight: bold; width: 150px; Christina Elmore. Hammon: The greatest challenge to justice and public accountability of all governmental units is transparency. Hammon: The 67th District Court, with the assistance of the State Court Administrators office conducts yearly audits that are available to the public. In addition, we need bond reform to consistently address the issue of bond to ensure that people are not housed in the jail unnecessarily. .courts-header { font-size:150%;background-color:#334aab;color:white;} The 17th Circuit Court is a circuit court in Michigan that encompasses Kent County. .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. background-color: #f9f9f9; Such matters include: civil cases, landlord/tenant cases, misdemeanor criminal cases and felony criminal cases. This was a targeted proposal in which I was the only one affected by the vote without acknowledging it was aimed at only Mayor Fouts. f. 517.321.4694, {{#if featuredimages.homepage}} {{featuredimages.homepage.url}}{{else}} /userassets/MI/MI/userimages/DefaultBlogImage.jpeg{{/if}}. Incumbent. Marsh received an associates degree, graduating Summa Cum Laude, from Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek. } What attributes/qualifications do you possess that make you the best choice for this court? 2.2.1 Primary election; 2.2.2 General election; 2.2.3 Ties; 2.3 Footnotes; Circuit Court. $0 Total Expenditures. }, Paul Denenfeld is a judge of the 17th Circuit Court in Kent County, Michigan. Candidates for three judicial races in Genesee County are pictured in these submitted photos. We should review these benchmarks quarterly and make adjustments. I hear cases on blight and enforce city ordinances designed to eliminate our citys blight problem. 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 I have served as a volunteer mediator and contributed countless hours of pro bono work. 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. 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. The longtime politician is seeking a fifth, four-year term as mayor of Michigan's third-populous city. Community forums are a way to help establish the benchmarks and gauge whether or not what is being done is effective. 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 that encompasses Kent County. We as the judiciary must strive to make all things we do transparent to all. If you are interested in receiving MAJ's endorsement please email Executive Director Steve Pontoni at spontoni@michiganjustice.org. .courts-header { font-size:150%;background-color:#334aab;color:white;} 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. } As a Flint District Judge for 20 years, and 9 years as a prosecutor, I have more experience than any other candidate. Michigan Court of Appeals 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 3rd (Wayne) - John C. Gillis* 3rd (Wayne) - Nicholas Hathaway* 6th (Oakland) - Amanda Shelton* 10th (Saginaw) - Megan Cottington-Heath. All rights reserved (About Us). Michigan District Courts Christenson: The Supreme Court Administrator does set and track benchmarks for courts to follow however, the information is not easily ascertainable. It will help them keep their pulse on the residents they serve so that they are staying relevant. He was appointed to this position by Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm on July 22, 2009, to succeed Steven Mitchell Pestka. 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. Article 6, 26 Circuit court commissioners and justices of the peace, abolition; courts of limited jurisdiction. 0 font-weight: bold; 2023 www.freep.com. color: black; .infobox p { He has been a member of the Genesee County Democratic Party, Genesee County Democratic Black Caucus, NAACP and Urban League of Flint. This is more efficient, reduces costs, lessens court appearances and litigants do not have to miss as much work. [1], .courts-container { background-color:#fcfcfc; width:100%; border:1px solid black;padding:5px;text-align:center;clear:both; } There is also bias with regards to sentencing. Subscribeto the Free Press. 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. float: right; YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. [4] Incumbent Paul Denenfeld and incumbent George Jay Quist were unopposed in the 17th Circuit general election (2 open seats). He took office on August 10, 2009.Denenfeld was re-elected in 2010 and 2016. Lansing, MI 48933 width: 250px; 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. Vinsons opinion, which was accepted by the Warren Election Commission during an Election Day meeting in November, stated it was not clear that the ballot proposal approved by voters in 2020 should apply to Fouts. FILING REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-INCUMBENT . They argued that Fouts is ineligible to run because of term limits approved by voters in 2020. I have been fully engaged in the community, and that connection has made me a better and more effective judge. Court Judge file with the Michigan Department of State, Bureau of Elections, P.O. padding-left: 10px; In establishing the Community Action Committee I have organized countless community activities. Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter. I believe that any studies, assessments or audits should always be available to the public. Health Department. Michigan Probate Courts, Courts in Michigan Michigan judicial elections Judicial selection in Michigan. 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. Hammon is a graduate of Atherton High School, the University of Michigan Flint and Ann Arbor campuses and Ave Maria School of Law. I have represented clients in every type of case litigated in District Court. Kent County, Michigan. She is a former member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Flint Board of Directors. All rights reserved. April 13, 2020 . text-align: center; But the Court of Appeals reversed the Circuit Court's decision and ruled in favor of the City Council. 17th Circuit Court, Michigan. 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. .widget-row.Democratic { In general, circuit courts handle all civil cases with claims of more than $25,000 and all felony criminal cases. 3116 0 obj <>stream This makes it extremely difficult for the Court to get through the volume of cases before it. This judge is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. In the nonpartisan primary, the two candidates who receive the greatest number of votes advance to the general election. Denenfeld was re-elected in 2010 and 2016. } A more consequential date, if the Michigan Supreme Court takes up the appeal, would come within the next few months. from the University of Cincinnati. word-wrap: break-word; 1.1 Judges; 1.2 Former judges; 1.3 See also; 1.4 External links; 2 Elections. } The candidates are (from top left) Chris Christenson, Herman Marable Jr., Jessica Hammon, Dawn Weier, Torchio Feaster, and Tabitha Marsh. Why? Weier: I believe the greatest challenge to justice/public accountability is moving court cases forward in a timely fashion. .top_disclaimer { Applicants may be interviewed by the MAJ Judicial Qualifications Committee. Ballotpedia features 408,485 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. font-weight: bold; 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). Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. [3], Qualifications 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.
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