Judge of District Court - 43rd District
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Brian Christian Hartwell (Incumbent)
(NON)
Summarize your biography, including your education (degrees conferred, colleges and law school), career and employment experience, elected offices held, community service activity, organizational affiliations, and other pertinent information. (Character Limit - 1,000)
Describe the general nature of your law practice or other legal work you have done, the typical clients you have represented, areas of specialty or concentration, and the geographic region of your practice. (Character Limit - 1,000)
Why should voters elect (or re-elect) you to judicial office; what qualities (e.g. temperament, diligence, etc.) and experiences do you have that commend you to the judicial office you seek? (Character Limit - 1,000)
In June 2020, Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed me to the state district court representing Ferndale, Hazel Park and Madison Heights. Then in November 2020, voters elected me to serve a full 6-year term on the district court. My prior elected experience included 5 years as mayor and 8 years on city council in Madison Heights. I studied law at the University of Detroit Mercy and earned an undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University. I have practiced law since 2008. For the past several years, I taught a summer course on Michigan real estate and landlord-tenant law. My peers elected me to serve as president of the Oakland County District Judges Association.
As a district court judge, my docket involves criminal cases, civil lawsuits, landlord-tenant disputes, and civil infractions. Since I was elected, we launched a sobriety court for drunk driving and drug cases, thanks to the hard work and compassion of my probation department. My team is currently in the planning stage to launch a mental health treatment court. Specialty courts are designed to stop recidivism, empower participants to value sobriety, and shift our justice system toward restorative and community outcomes instead of incarceration on non-violent and non-serious crimes. We have consistently been awarded grant funding for these specialty courts.
I cannot accomplish anything alone. Every project starts with the advice of my bench mates, Judge Keith Hunt and Chief Judge Joseph Longo. The court administrator and I have built a great environment to work as a clerk and practice law as an attorney. We understand that a court visit may be a stressful and embarrassing situation. We aim to mitigate visitors’ grief by being patient listeners. Even when the court sentences someone to jail, we make an effort that everyone has been heard and respected. I promise the next 6 years will continue our focus on respect, accountability, and efficiency. And, thanks to my wife for inspiring me and our two children to be creative, expressive and selfless.
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