July/August 2022 Newsletter - Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan

Greetings,

In July and August, Chief Judge Timothy M. Kenny began to reach out once more to the legal community and public for feedback on court operations. Again, Zoom hearings received high marks. The Jury Services Department continues to do amazing work to ensure trials proceed. As many court and bar associations resumed offering the option of in-person attendance for training, court staff were able to learn and network in real life (IRL) with colleagues from other courts. The Court was well represented at the second and the first in-person National Black Men in Leadership Summit. A well-deserved shout-out goes to Dominique Peacock for her completion of the National Child Support Enforcement Associations Leadership Academy. The days of summer at Third Circuit Court have been busy and productive. Hopefully, your summer has been a good one! By the way, the Giant Slide has reopened.

The Michigan Judicial Council Creates a

Statewide Strategic Plan for the Judiciary

The Michigan Judicial Council (MJC) was created because developing and implementing a statewide judicial strategic plan is a high priority for the Michigan Supreme Court and State Court Administrative Office.

The MJC is comprised of representatives from the judiciary, court administration, bar associations, legal community, and public at large. The MJC met for the last 12 months to create a Strategic Plan and Operational Plan for Michigan’s judiciary which covers 83 counties and nearly 10 million residents. Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack, who chairs the MJC, recognized at the onset, “The work will be difficult, but the result will be so worth it: justice for all.”

Justice Elizabeth T. Clement also served along with other 29 representatives. Judge Helal Farhat and Executive Court Administrator Zenell Brown of the Third Circuit Court are members of the Council. The Strategic Plan was released earlier this month and it can be found at:

https://www.courts.michigan.gov/administration/special-initiatives/judicial-council/. Below is the Operational Plan which set forth the strategic goals and initiatives for 2022-23.

Judge Lynne A. Pierce is retiring from the Third Circuit Court. She has served more than 30 years in the Family Division, and is one of the few judges who has served both in the Domestic Relations and Juvenile Sections of the Division. Judge Pierce graduated from Detroit College of Law. The Third Circuit Court Judges and staff appreciate her service and commitment and wish Judge Pierce the best in all future endeavors.

Child Support Month: Meet Commissioner Tanguler Gray

Tanguler Gray serves as the commissioner of the Office of Child Support Enforcement at the Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She was appointed by President Biden in December 2021 and hails from the state of Georgia, formerly serving as the director of its child support program.

Commissioner Gray’s attendance at the National Child Support Enforcement Association Leadership Symposium was significantly impactful as the theme of diversity and inclusion was omnipresent.

Tanguler Gray spoke to leaders and aspiring leaders on what it takes to lead and also shared her challenges of being the “first and sometimes the only African American in the room.”

Gray has been recognized nationally for her work in establishing outreach programs to assist noncustodial parents in overcoming barriers to pay court-ordered child support.

With over 26 years of leadership and child support experience, Commissioner Gray has also served as President of the National Child Support Enforcement Association, and the Eastern Regional Interstate Child Support Association.

She graduated from Valdosta State University and has a daughter and a son.

Senior Staff Attorney, Dominique Peacock, was a participant and graduate of the National Association of Child Support Enforcement Leadership Academy. Dominique is the first Third Circuit Court Attorney to earn this distinction. Dominique has worked as a Judicial Assistant for Judge Daphne Means Curtis and began her career at the Wayne County Friend of the Court in 2014. Dominique currently serves as the Unit Chief in the FOC Legal Department supervising the AFSCME staff. Dominique is a Detroiter, graduating from Cass Tech. She attended University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared that August 2022 is Child Support Month in Michigan recognizing the tireless efforts of child support workers, employers, state and county departments, hospitals, and community partners who work to support Michigan children and families.

In Wayne County, the Friend of the Court establishes child support orders, ensures those financial obligations are right-sized according to the Michigan Child Support Formula, and enforces payment on these financial responsibilities.

Recent highlights for Wayne County Friend of the Court include:

276,053 cases served by the employees in 2021.

$293,333,265.03 collected and distributed in support for 2021.

10,119 reviews and investigations to ensure child support are properly charging.

Zoom hearings continue for Friend of the Court Referees, increasing access to court hearings and negating the need for travel and parking costs.
The Friend of the Court payment window reopened to take in-person payments five days per week.
Customer Service reopened to in-person service two days per week and virtual appointments are conducted the other three days.

Celebrations started in early June to recognize Wayne County Friend of the Court staff’s efforts. A “Help Fill Your Tank” raffle was held with gas gift cards as prizes. Staff could enter to win by sharing a reason they enjoy working at the Friend of the Court. Common reasons staff submitted were their co-workers, helping families and children, and doing something that feels fulfilling.

Celebrations will continue later in August to recognize Friend of the Court staff’s hard work all year long. These celebrations will include treats for staff and another “Help Fill Your Tank” raffle where staff can enter by nominating a co-worker that helps to “fill their tank.”

Beauty, Justice, Diversity, Leadership, Engaging, Impactful, Visionary, and Commonality. These are just a few words that come to mind after being part of a Panel and Breakout Session for Fellows of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. The event was held on Saturday, July 9, 2022 at the MSU – Detroit Center and was hosted by Charles Rivers - Director of Community Relations of Southeast Michigan for Government Relations. ToieLynn Smith, Deputy Court Administrator – Juvenile, and Lisa Timmons, Mediation Tribunal Association Director, had the distinct pleasure of being part of this event. The Mandela Washington Fellowship provides opportunities for young leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa including leadership training, academic coursework, and networking. Leaders are then able to utilize and strengthen their skills at a college or university in the U.S., which includes professional development support after leaders return to their county.

The panel and breakout sessions covered an array of topics including Justice, Community Development, Health, and Entrepreneurship. The Young African Leaders were intrigued by the distinguished four main panelists, which included author, essayist and advocate, Rochelle Riley; and storyteller, writer and social entrepreneur Satori Shakoor. As did all four panelists, Ms. Riley and Ms. Shakoor gave the visiting fellows a realistic view of Detroit inclusive of its rich history and bright future, reflective of the positive people and happenings that aren’t otherwise widely portrayed. During the breakout sessions it was evident, although we live on different continents, we share common barriers in many areas such as health, justice systems, access to services, etc., There were several positive commonalities; the leaders exhibited a passion for knowledge in the areas of civic engagement, social entrepreneurship, youth empowerment, politics/public policy, art, safe water, just to name a few. The discussions provided for engaging dialogue, exchange of ideas, and the opportunity to learn about other cultures. Some of the countries represented were Zambia, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Senegal.

National Black Men in Leadership Summit

Dr. Cornel West was the keynote at National Black Men in Leadership Summit held at the Huntington Place on Thursday, August 18, 2022. Over 250 Black men, from teen through senior years, gathered to create an atmosphere of positive energy, unity, support, and leadership. Huel Perkins interviewed Dr. West and led an audience question-answer segment. In addition to the keynote, the men attended sessions on mental health, law enforcement and judgeship, and allyship. Third Circuit Court was represented by Christopher Whittington, Samuel Porter, and Dwight Sanders, along with many in the virtual audience.

A few thoughts from Christopher Whittington regarding the Summit:

“On August 18^th, The Michigan Diversity Council hosted their annual National Black Men in Leadership Summit. The event was held at Fort Pontchartrain Hotel in Detroit, Michigan.

This year’s summit was a well-attended event. The event kicked off with a breakfast, networking opportunities, and the opening remarks. There were opening, lunch and closing panel discussions with 12 concurrent plenary sessions dispersed throughout the day.

The theme for the summit was “Resilient Leadership” and was defined as: “an intentional act of resistance and awareness; the ability to embrace uncertainty, navigate ambiguity, and celebrate the power of progression as the new leadership currency.”

The Summit was an educational and interactive event. It served as a great opportunity for attendees to network and learn from their black male peers by listening to their experiences. I believe the networking was an invaluable asset to pull from each other’s experiences and open a door for further personal and/or professional advancement.

As an attendee, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the panel of Huel Perkins and Dr. Cornell West, The Power of Black Resilience panel, and the discussion on Mental and Spiritual Health of Black Men. Overall, this event was well-planned out and a much needed conference for discussion and fellowship.”

Mark your calendars, the 2023 National Black Men in Leadership Summit will be August 17th.

ROCKET MORTGAGE SUMMER BACKPACK PROGRAM

BENEFITTING WAYNE COUNTY CASA

On Tuesday, August 16th, Rocket Mortgage delivered 30 backpacks and school supplies to the Wayne County CASA program at the Third Circuit Court. The backpacks will be given to children who are in foster care and being served by CASA volunteers. The backpacks were carefully crafted for each child and filled with supplies. "Year after year, Rocket Mortgage continues to demonstrate their commitment to our CASA children by ensuring for them a special start to the school year. We are grateful for their generosity and kindness and look forward to our continued partnership," says Robyn Roberts, Executive Director of Wayne County CASA, "A huge thank you to everyone at Rocket Mortgage who participated in this special project."

Yvette Blackmon and Jalona Colvard enjoying the summer weather in the CAYMC Plaza.

Jeannette Heacox’ furbabies, River and Jasper, enjoyed camping with the family and swimming in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron this summer.

If you have some summer fun photos or vacation stories you’d like to share in the newsletter, please send them to ExecutiveCourtAdministrationOffice@3rdcc.org.

THE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION CALENDAR

The Third Circuit Court Diversity and Inclusion Team’s Mission: "We appreciate our common connection and respect our diverse and unique human experiences. We move forward as an inclusive organization as we provide accessible and equal justice."

The Court’s Diversity & Inclusion Team strives to ensure the values of its diverse bench, staff, and court users are acknowledged and reflected in our delivery of service as well as our work environment.

In that spirit, the team creates and shares a monthly list of various holidays and observations along with some celebration suggestions. We invite our work community and the community at large to contribute.

SEPTEMBER 2022

Labor Day - September 5

International Day of Charity - September 5

International Literacy Day - September 8

Patriot Day - September 11

Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year) - September 11

International Day of Democracy - September 15

Mexican Independence Day - September 16

International Day of Peace - September 21

Autumnal Equinox - September 22

Bi Visibility Day - September 23

National Native American Day - September 23