VOTE411 Voter Guide

My 26 years in public service in Kalamazoo County have prepared me to competently serve as Judge on day one. I have tried over 150 trials and handled civil forfeiture cases and appellate matters as an Assistant Prosecutor. I have served as a Magistrate on the 8th District Court bench for the past three years, conducting several hundred hearings, including arraignments, small claims matters, and traffic and ordinance violation hearings. I have reviewed several hundred arrest and search warrants. I have served in leadership positions with the State Bar and am familiar with the computer programs, personnel, and procedures of 8th District Court.

As Magistrate, I have found that being adequately prepared for scheduled hearings is an effective ways to improve court procedures. I believe in being well prepared for each hearing. A Judge’s command of the law, court rules, and rules of evidence is essential for the efficient operation of a courtroom. A Judge should also ensure that parties have an adequate opportunity for discovery and meaningful pretrial conferences. Reasonable scheduling orders help parties identify issues, file necessary pretrial motions, and be ready to proceed to trial without unnecessary delay. This prevents victims and jurors from having to appear unnecessarily.

I have had the good fortune of practicing before many fine judges in my long career as a prosecutor in Wayne County, Kalkaska County, and Kalamazoo County. I hold retired 9th Circuit Court Judge Richard Ryan Lamb in very high esteem. He served Kalamazoo County with distinction for many years, earning a well-deserved reputation of being tough but fair. Judge Lamb ran his courtroom efficiently, requiring parties to be prepared and on time for scheduled hearings and trials. Judge Lamb was learned in the law and articulate in delivering his thoughtful rulings, while maintaining an appropriate sense of humor and propriety.

I grew up attending Kalamazoo Public Schools before earning degrees from the University of Michigan and DePaul University College of Law. For 13 years, I’ve served in public defense, handling nearly every type of criminal case at nearly every level of our courts. My education and work have given me deep experience with court processes and practical solutions that truly work. Outside the courtroom, I stay connected to our community by serving on the boards of El Concilio and the Kalamazoo County Bar Association and coaching high school mock trial. My experience equips me to run a fair, efficient courtroom that keeps our community safe.

Flexibility and increasing access have been the most effective methods for improving court procedures. The courts run most efficiently, and serve the public best, when everyone has a chance to participate fully in proceedings. Some examples of increased access include allowing remote appearances, providing language services for non-native English speakers, and making counsel available for those who can’t afford an attorney. The courts could be less intimidating to the public if judges engage with participants in a more explanatory way and are fully transparent about why they make decisions. Info sheets at court could also improve efficiency.

Sonia Sotomayor, a justice on the United States Supreme Court, is one of the judges I admire most. Justice Sotomayor had a difficult upbringing but she nevertheless excelled. As a judge, she has maintained a relentless defense of our most basic constitutional rights and the idea of fundamental fairness. She frequently speaks up for disadvantaged populations, who are affected differently and disproportionately by our laws. She cares about the everyday effects of the law beyond the black and white words on a page, and she sees the law in the same way I see it - to actually benefit and protect the people.