Court and Community News and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion updates

from the Third Judicial Circuit



September 2025

1. Chief Judge Letter
2. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Updates
3. 10 Minute to Justice Program Launches in Wayne County Communities
4. Chief Pro Tem Judge Leslie Kim Smith is Honored
5. Court Employees "Square Walk" in the D
6. Baby Court Participates in National Conference
7. Trained Bees on the Roof of CAYMC
8. Criminal Courthouse Kudos: Kazam Sheikh
9. August was Child Support Month
10. Tech Tips - Voicemail Changes
11. DEI Calendar

The Criminal Justice Center is 1-year old

It seems like just yesterday that we were celebrating the opening of the Criminal Justice Center (CJC) and finalizing the massive move of our Criminal Division from the nearby Frank Murphy Hall of Justice.

From the court's perspective, the move has been a huge success. We share the building with many of our important Wayne County partners, including the Wayne County Clerk's Office and Wayne County Sheriff's Department.

We have nearly 25 new courtrooms with state-of-the-art audio and related court technology. Wayne County jurors have more space in our Jury Services area, and roomy, modern conference rooms for deliberation. Free parking is available for all. I'd like to thank our friends at the Wayne County Sheriff's Department for ensuring a safe atmosphere for our staff and the public at large, and other county employees for helping to keep the building clean, answer visitor questions and support a full range of Wayne County services.

Third Circuit Court faces unique challenges because we are spread out at four different locations across Detroit. We are making plans to change that in the years ahead. Our location at the CJC is a step in the right direction.

Email me at chiefjudge@3rdcc.org with comments or questions.

Sincerely,

Judge Patricia Perez Fresard

Celebrating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in September

The Third Circuit Court Diversity Equity, and Inclusion Team’s Mission is: "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, Equity, and 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.

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15. It is a month-long celebration of Hispanic and Latino history and culture, recognizing the many contributions made to the history and culture of the U.S., including important advocacy work, vibrant art, popular and traditional foods, and much more.

Hispanic Heritage Month provides an additional opportunity to explore the incredible impact Latinas and Latinos have had on the United States for generations. The nation's Latino population is now over 60 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This makes up 18.9% of the total population and is the largest racial or ethnic group. Latinos continue to help fuel our economy and enrich our nation as entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, entertainers, scientists, public servants, and much more.

The National Museum of the American Latino uses the term “Latino” to describe the diverse residents of the United States with cultural or ancestral ties to Latin America or the Caribbean. For many, the term "Latino" also creates room for acknowledging Black, Indigenous, Asian, and other heritages on equal terms with European ancestry. The term “Hispanic” is used to signal a connection to Spain or the Spanish language.

Source: The National Museum of the American Latino

September is a time to remember the lives lost to suicide and people who are living with depression. Suicide is a leading cause of death in the U.S. and is an important topic to discuss with loved ones. Take time to raise awareness about mental health by sharing resources with loved ones or colleagues this month. It’s also a great time to share inspirational stories of hope too.

If you or someone you know in Michigan is struggling or in crisis, contact the 988 Lifeline at 988, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also access the free, confidential chat line.

Third Circuit Court Visits Inkster and Livonia

Third Judicial Circuit has instituted a program where members of our Bench visit city council, township board and other meetings and events held in Wayne County communities to provide an overview of our court and services to residents. This program is called 10 minutes to Justice: A Brief Introduction to the Third Circuit Court of Michigan.

Judge Margaret M. Van Houten and Judge Bradley Cobb were gracious to be the first judicial representatives of this program. Judge Van Houten visited Livonia City Council on August 11 and Judge Cobb visited Inkster City Council on August 18. Both provided a high-level overview of our divisions, locations, services and juror qualifications. They also detailed where Third Circuit Court sites in the hierarchy of the Michigan court system.

This outreach allows us to “humanize” the court, ensure our commitment to equal access to justice. It is an effective and transparent way to help relieve some of the concerns that residents have about jury service.



The plan is to continue this program with other Third Circuit Court judges so we can visit many of the communities throughout Wayne County over the next several months. Canton Township, Plymouth Township and Taylor are among the communities that we're scheduled to visit in the near future.

For more information on our 10 minutes to Justice email communications@3rdcc.org.

Chief Judge Pro Tem Judge Leslie Kim Smith Honored by a State Bar of Michigan Section

Congratulations to the Hon. Leslie Kim Smith, Chief Judge Pro Tem at Third Circuit Court, for receiving the 2025 Judicial Excellence Award last month from the Negligence Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan.

The award is given annually to a member of the State Bar of Michigan in appreciation of the recipient’s continued commitment to amicable resolution of civil disputes and for recognizing the benefiting allowing skilled litigators to exercise their craft in the courtroom.



Chief Judge Pro Tem Smith joins a list of other honored members of the Michigan Bar in receiving this award including former Michigan State Supreme Court Justices Bridget M. McCormack and Elizabeth Clement, along with other judges from around the state.

Thank you, Judge Smith, for representing our court with such prestige in support of Wayne County residents.

Employees Participate in "Square Walking" in the D

In recognition of National Wellness Month, approximately 80 employees in divisions across the Court participated in the “Be There or Be Square” employee engagement event. The goals of the event were to:

• Support employee health and well- being by walking.
• Create synergy among employees.

Employees walked one square mile at either the Lincoln Hall of Justice or along the Detroit Riverfront. 

All employees are encouraged to continue the momentum, stay active and create walking groups with their colleagues. Congratulations to all who participated!

Baby Court Participates in National Conference

Katy Allen, Deputy General Counsel for Family divisions and the Baby Court referee attended the 19th Annual Cross Sites Meeting, August 5-7, hosted by Safe Babies, a program of ZERO TO THREE™ and the HRSA-funded Infant-Toddler Court Program National Resource Center. Above is a photo of Michigan's ZERO TO THREE team members.

Cross Sites serves as a national learning community where attendees share ideas, innovative approaches and the latest scientific practices in child welfare, particularly focusing on infants, toddlers and their families who are in or at-risk of entering the child welfare system. Referee Allen is the longest serving Jurist for Baby Court in Michigan.

Did you know: CAYMC has Trained Bees on its Roof?

The partial green roof sitting at the top of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center is one of the city’s best-kept secrets, at least until this Detroit Free Press article came out last month. This includes honeybee hives and pollinator gardens that were were added in 2012.

Read more about what you may not have known about one of our court buildings from Free Press writer Violet Ikonomova here.

Criminal Courthouse Kudos: Kazam Sheikh

The Criminal Division is pleased to celebrate Kazam Sheikh as our August Courthouse Kudos recipient.

Kaz was nominated by a team member who shared the following:

“Kaz goes above and beyond in his service to the Court. He is proactive in identifying and addressing potential issues well in advance, even when those issues do not fall within his direct responsibility. His attention to detail and commitment to excellence have helped streamline court processes, and he continually offers creative, effective solutions that improve efficiency for everyone. 

"Kaz approaches each day with a positive attitude and professionalism, even in challenging situations. His willingness to support both the public and fellow staff members reflects a deep commitment to teamwork and public service."

Please join us in celebrating Kazam for his incredible attention to detail, commitment to excellence, team work, and public service!

Let's Celebrate One Another.

Small Moments Make a BIG Impact!

August Was Child Support Month!

In recognition of the foundation that child support provides many Michigan families and the hard work and success achieved by Michigan’s Child Support staff, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proclaimed August 2025 to be Child Support Month.

Wayne County Friend of the Court staff were treated with ice cream sandwiches and popsicles as part of the celebration for this month. In addition, it was announced that the “Penobscot Praise” program would be kicked off in August. As an offshoot of the Criminal Division’s “Courthouse Kudos”, Penobscot Praise will recognize a nominated staff person for their passion, drive and dedication to their work at the Friend of the Court.

Staff members will receive a gift card, have their picture featured in the lunchroom and will be noted in the court newsletter.

Wayne County Friend of the Court works with over 270,000 child support cases and distributed over $204,000,000 in child support to Wayne County families in 2024. This is made possible with the dedication and hard work of the Friend of the Court employees. If you see or know a Friend of the Court staff member in August, make sure to tell them thank you for their work and wish them a happy Child Support Month! 

Tech Tips - Voicemail Changes

You can create a voicemail PIN if your administrator hasn't provided you, or change your PIN if you forget it at any time from User Hub.

You can use your phone, User Hub, or the Webex App to manage all your voicemail and its settings. These settings sync between applications when saved.

Your administrator must have enabled the voicemail feature for you to access and configure various settings. If you’re not finding any voicemail settings such as reset pin, voicemail greetings and notifications, check with your administrator.

Before you begin, keep in mind that Webex users can't set up a second voicemail account.

1) Sign in to User Hub, then click Settings > Calling > Voicemail

2) Go to Voicemail PIN section and then click Reset voicemail PIN

3) Enter your New Voicemail PIN within the following requirements.

• Must be at least six digits long. Numbers only.
• Must not be any of your previous ten PINs (twenty-four, in case of government customers).
• Must not be the reverse order of your old PIN.
• Must not match the numeric representation of your first or last name.
• Must not contain your phone number or extension number.
• Must not contain single or groups of repeated digits (for example, 228883, 121212, or 408408).
• Must not be a numerical sequence (for example, 012345 or 987654).
• Must not contain numbers that are dialed in a straight line on the keypad.

4) Reenter your PIN in Confirm Voicemail PIN and click Submit

What to do next

Once the voicemail account is set up, you can check and listen to your voice messages from

Webex App, User Portal, or Phone, and configure various voicemail settings such as voicemail transcription, voicemail greetings, voicemail notifications, and so on..

September 2025

DEI Calendar



World Suicide Prevention Day – September 10

This day promotes global efforts to prevent suicide, raise awareness, and reduce stigma around mental health issues. It encourages open conversations and support for those struggling with mental health challenges.

Patriot Day – September 11

Observed in the U.S., Patriot Day remembers those who lost their lives in the tragic events of September 11, 2001. It’s a day of reflection and unity, honoring both victims and first responders.

National Working Parents Day – September 16

This day recognizes the dedication of working parents who balance career and family responsibilities. It’s an opportunity to appreciate their contributions at work and at home, acknowledging the challenges they face.



International Equal Pay Day – September 18

A United Nations observance, International Equal Pay Day advocates for closing the global gender pay gap and achieving equal pay for equal work. It highlights the importance of economic equity and gender equality in the workforce.