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QUOTE OF THE MONTH
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Success is
not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage
to continue that counts.
February's Quote
of the Month Winner
Chief Judge
Robert J. Colombo, Jr. & Carolyn A.
Robbins
Administrative
Assistant I - FMHJ
Ms. Robbins has
been employed with the Court for
12 years.
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The
Honorable Virgil Clark Smith
Black History
month is celebrated throughout the month of February
and is set aside to acknowledge the contributions of
African Americans. The Third Circuit Court
acknowledges the Hon. Virgil C. Smith. Judge
Virgil Smith was appointed by the Michigan Supreme
Court to serve as Chief Judge of the Third Judicial
Circuit of Michigan from 2009-2013. He was the first
African American judge to serve in this capacity in
the history of the Court.
Judge Smith was
born and raised in the Conant Gardens community of
Detroit. He attended Pershing High School, received
his B.A. in political science from Michigan State
University and his J.D. from Wayne State University
Law School. In 1977 he began twelve years of public
service in the House of Representatives serving the
10th District. In 1986, Judge Smith
was voted Legislator of the Year by both the Michigan
Judges Association and the Police Officers
Association of Michigan and was a member of the
Michigan Legislative Black Caucus. In 2000,
after leaving the senate due to term limits, Judge
Smith served in the Wayne County Prosecuting
Attorney's Office as Chief of Legislation, Grants and
Community Relations, and later served as Chief
Assistant Prosecutor. In 2004, Judge Virgil Clark
Smith was appointed by Governor Jennifer Granholm to
a Judgeship in the Juvenile Section of the Family
Division of Wayne County Third Circuit Court, at
Lincoln Hall of Justice, where he currently serves
the community as the Presiding Judge.
He is married to
the former Elizabeth Little, and has three sons and
one daughter.
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Deputy Chief Financial Officer
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As Chief Judge,
I am pleased to announce that effective February 6,
2017, Toby Horner assumed the position of Deputy
Chief Financial Officer.
Toby has been
working in the accounting profession for
municipality and non-profit agencies for over 17
years. He began his career with the Suburban
Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation
(SMART Bus) as an Accounts Payable Associate.
He worked for SMART Bus for over 12 years in
increasingly progressive capacities including
Principal Accountant, Supervisor of Internal Audits
and Manager of Financial Analysis and Audit.
He transitioned to Easter Seals Michigan in
2011 as Controller for 6 years where he was
responsible for all cycles of the accounting
function including overseeing and managing all
accounting and billing staff, financial statement
and budget preparation, internal control systems
and facilitating external audits. He also
worked as interim Chief Financial Officer for over
a year.
Toby earned a
Master of Science in Accounting from Walsh College,
and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from
Walsh College as well. He is also a member of
the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
Please join me in
extending heartfelt congratulations to Toby Horner on
his appointment.
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Criminal Division E-Filing
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The
practice of law just became a little bit easier in
the Third Circuit Court's Criminal
Division.
The
Criminal Division went live December 5, 2016 with
eFiling.
Chief Judge
Robert J. Colombo, Jr.
has
enjoyed the benefits of eFiling in Civil Division
for over five years and championed its expansion
to the Criminal Division.
"eFiling
saves attorneys time and money by eliminating
paper, postage, messenger services, mileage, and
parking. It allows for electronic storage
of documents reducing the cost of and the need
for physical storage space. It permits for
attorneys to access their electronic storage from
remote locations. All of this is provided
at no cost. The practice of law just became
a little bit easier in the Criminal
Division."
The
Honorable Timothy M. Kenny, the Presiding Judge of
the Criminal Division and Chief Judge Pro Tem,
envisioned the many benefits eFiling offered to the
Court, County Clerk, attorneys, and public.
"eFiling in the Criminal Division of the
Third Circuit Court will be a valuable benefit to
attorneys, as well as the Court," Judge Kenny
shared.
"Attorneys
will be able to file documents with the court from
home or office and review pleadings from remote
locations as well. This service is provided
at no cost. eFiling will ensure direct
delivery of pleadings to the courtroom and provide
easy access to electronically stored
documents."
There were
many people behind the scene who helped make
eFiling a reality in the Criminal
Division.
The Chief
Information Officer, Michael Gruich, and his
Information Technology team, Deputy Court
Administrator Alisa Shannon, and the Wayne County
Clerk Cathy M. Garrett and her leadership team are
commended for their
hard work
and efforts in bringing the eFiling project to
fruition. They drafted business processes,
helped arrange training, and continue to address
any unexpected issues and fine tune the
process.
Attorneys
who need to learn how to eFile in the Criminal
Division, may visit the Court's website
3rdcc.org
for instructions and
tutorial videos.
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Greetings,
The Third Circuit Court is offering a last chance
to the 22,255 jurors who failed to appear in 2016
for jury service. During the month of
February, these jurors may contact the Jury
Services Department at (313) 224-5254 or (313)
224-5650 to schedule a new date to appear and avoid
the risk of receiving a show cause
order.
Chief Judge Colombo will conduct show cause
hearings on April 27, 2017 and those jurors face
possible penalties and jail time.
"Jury
service is the purest form of government because
jurors are not subject to political considerations
or contributions, but rather decide the case based
upon the evidence. Jurors represent the thinking of
the community. It is a service that should command
the pride and pleasure of every citizen and should
not be avoided." Chief Judge Robert J. Colombo,
Jr.
Please share this
information with family, friends, and colleagues so
they may take advantage of the opportunity to call
and ask for a new date to complete their jury
service. And remember, when you are
called to serve as a juror, you are ensuring the
justice system works as intended.
The United States
Constitution guarantees all people, regardless of
race, religion, sex, national origin, or economic
status, the right to trial by an impartial
jury.
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The Court Welcomes
Judge Melissa Anne Cox
Judge
Melissa Anne Cox was elected to the Third
Judicial Circuit Court in November 2016 and
is assigned to the Family Division.
Judge Cox
graduated from the University of Michigan and
received her Juris Doctorate from Ave Maria
School of Law. She began her legal
career as a law clerk for the law firm
Fausone Bohn, LLP, in Northville. She
continued to work for the firm as an
associate attorney, focusing her practice in
family law. She handled a high-volume
caseload of divorce, custody, and adoption
matters. Additionally, throughout her career,
she served as assistant city attorney for
several municipalities and, in that capacity,
prosecuted criminal misdemeanors and civil
infractions and defended civil litigation
lawsuits. She has been afforded recognition
as a Super Lawyer Rising Star for the past
six years and has been named by Hour Magazine
as a Top Female Attorney.
Judge Cox
resides in Wayne County with her husband and
three children. She is actively involved in
her community, as well as the legal
community. She is a member of the Wayne
County Family Bar Association, the
Incorporated Society of Irish American
Lawyers, and serves as the Vice President of
the Livonia Bar Association.
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The Court Welcomes
Judge Wanda A. Evans
Judge Wanda A.
Evans was elected to the Third Judicial Circuit
Court in November 2016 and is assigned to the
Criminal Division.
Judge Evans was
born and raised in the City of Detroit. She
Graduated from Cass Technical High School, earned a
Bachelor of Science Degree from Eastern Michigan
University, a Master of Social Work Degree from
Wayne State University, and a Juris Doctor Degree
from the University of Detroit Law School.
She became a member of the State Bar of Michigan in
1995 and was licensed to practice in the Federal
District Court. She worked for the
Misdemeanor Defender's Office of the
36th District Court representing
indigent clients. Later, she started her own
law firm and practiced law for over seventeen years
in the areas of Criminal, Family and Civil Law
prior to being elected to Judge of the
36th District Court in 2012.
Judge Evans knew
early in her college years that she was committed
to helping children and advocating for fairness and
justice and thus was acting Vice President of
Eastern Michigan University's NAACP. In 1984,
She began working as a Foster Care Worker for the
Children's Aids Society. She worked for the
Community Case Management Agency as a Case Manager,
placing mentally ill patients in adult foster care
homes. She worked for ten years as a
Probation Officer for Wayne County Juvenile Court
where she served as a Stewart, Vice-President and
acting President of AFSCME Local 1905 in
1992-1994. She also worked as a private
therapist for children and families.
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The Court Welcomes
Judge Thomas M.J. Hathaway
Judge Thomas M.J. Hathaway was elected to the
Third Judicial Circuit Court in November of
2016 and is assigned to the Criminal
Division.
Judge Hathaway practiced as a trial attorney
for over 30 years of a national law practice in
a wide range of constitutional, employment,
corporate, business, and admiralty matters.
He is a graduate of Detroit Catholic
Central High School, the College of the Holy
Cross, and Vanderbilt University School of
Law. He is married to Dr. Patricia
Cooney-Hathaway and has two adult children,
Thomas, Jr. and Victoria.
Judge Hathaway is a former Special Assistant
Attorney General, as well as a former President
of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar
Association. He is also a member of the
State Bar of Michigan Standing Committee on
Character of Fitness, and is a Contributor,
Employment
Discrimination Law, Schlei and Grossman,
Second Edition, 1983 Supplement and Third
Edition, 1997. He is a Fellow of the
Michigan State Bar Foundation. Prior to
his election, Judge Hathaway was consistently
reviewed as a leading lawyer in Michigan by
third-party peer review publications such as
"Best Lawyers in America," "Michigan Super
Lawyers," "Chambers USA: Leading Individual,"
and "Crain's Detroit Business Top
Attorneys."
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The Court Welcomes
Judge Kelly Ramsey
Judge
Kelly Ramsey was elected to the Third Judicial
Circuit Court in November 2016 and is assigned
to the Criminal Division.
Judge
Ramsey was born and raised in Detroit and is a
life-long resident of Wayne County. She
has extensive judicial and trial experience
having served for over 23 years as a referee in
the Wayne County Circuit Court - Juvenile
Division, and over five years as a Wayne County
assistant prosecuting attorney.
Judge Ramsey is the co-founder
of For The Seventh Generation
(
www.ForTheSeventhGeneration.org
),
a non-profit organization enriching the lives
of disadvantaged children. She currently
serves on the boards of Vista Maria, Child's
Hope, Franklin Wright Settlements and the
Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association
Foundation. She is also a member of the
Governor's Task Force on Child Abuse &
Neglect.
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Congratulations to the
Honorable Timothy M. Kenny
for 20
years on the Bench
Hon.
Timothy M. Kenny has served on the Wayne
County Circuit Court Bench since
1996. He currently serves as the
Chief Judge Pro Tem and Presiding Judge of
the Criminal Division.
Since
2009, he has served as the judge in charge
of the Third Circuit Court's Mental Health
Court program. In 2010, the Mental
Health Court program received an
Achievement Award from the National
Association of Counties.
Judge
Kenny currently serves as Chairman of the
Advisory Council for the Salvation Army's
Rehabilitation Center. In 2010, he
was selected as one of Michigan's Leaders
in the Law by Michigan Lawyer's
Weekly. In 2011, he received the
Pioneer of Justice Award from the Legal Aid
and Defender Association. He has been
a frequent presenter for the Michigan
Judicial Institute.
Before
becoming a judge, Judge Kenny served for 20
years as an assistant Wayne County
prosecutor. During his tenure there,
he served as a chief trial attorney,
Director of the Career Criminal Prosecution
Unit, and a special assistant U.S.
attorney. During his service as a
prosecuting attorney, Judge Kenny received
the Leonard Gilman Award from the Federal
Bar Association for outstanding practice of
criminal law. He also spent several
years in the private practice of
law.
Judge
Kenny is a graduate of the University of
Michigan and the University of Minnesota
Law School.
We
would like to thank Liam J. Herdon for
photographing Judge Kenny's
celebration.
Liam
is a Junior at Wayne Memorial High
School. He is the captain of the
Varsity Soccer team and was awarded all
conference honorable mention and the
Zebra Pride award for the 2016-2017
soccer season. He developed an interest
in photography after taking some classes
as part of the honors program in junior
high. Liam plans to attend college
to study computer science.
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THE WAYNE
COUNTY
SELF-HELP
CENTER
Have
you ever encountered a court user with
procedural questions or who was missing
the paperwork needed to file a case,
motion, or proposed order or
judgment? You
knew that you could not give the person
legal advice, but that knowledge did
nothing to help the person standing
before you who simply needed a document
to present a matter to the Court to begin
the process or to move the case forward
to its proper resolution. You did
not have the resources to help the person
and may have wondered what options
exist.
The
Wayne County Self-Help Center offers a
useful solution!
Open
Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to
3:00 p.m.,
navigators help
individuals log onto the Michigan Legal
Help website for information and articles
about various court proceedings.
Guided by a question and answer format,
users may complete forms and prepare
documents to start a new case or to
address an existing one. Located
just past security on the 11th
Floor of the Penobscot Building,
navigators assist court users with
questions, guide them through the court
process, and ensure that they develop and
save their forms.
Critically,
navigators, like all other court staff,
do not provide legal advice.
Instead, they help users work through a
website designed to help self-represented
litigants and those with legal questions
prepare documents for a wide variety of
legal matters. Services currently
include the following areas: family court
proceedings, housing and collection
matters, petitions to set aside
convictions, estate planning and probate
documents, and various benefits. So
next time you are approached by someone
with procedural questions or needs a
court document, consider a referral to
the Self-Help Center.
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The Wayne
County Friend of the Court
Outreach Initiatives
February 2017
Walk-In
Friend of the Court Assistance
Receive
information and ask child support professionals
questions
regarding
your Friend of the Court issues at the following
locations:
UAW
Region 1A Local 174
Rory L.
Gamble, Regional Director
15140
Livernois, Detroit, MI 48238
(313)
864-7878
Held Every
1st & 3rd Friday of the
Month
9:00 a.m.
to 3:00 p.m.
ACCESS
Arab
Community Center for Economic & Social
Services
6450 Maple
Street, Dearborn, MI 48126
(313)
216-2200
Held Every
2nd Friday of the Month
9:00 a.m.
to 3:00 p.m.
The
Resource Network
11816 Jos
Campau, Hamtramck, MI 48212
(313)
365-3700
Held Every
3rd Tuesday of the Month
10:00 a.m.
to 3:00 p.m.
Focus:
HOPE
1200 Oakman
Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48238
(313)
494-4300
Held Every
4th Wednesday of the Month
9:00 a.m.
to 3:00 p.m.
Wayne
County Child Support Help Program
Detroit
Public Library
5201
Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48202
1-877-543-2660
Saturday,
April 8, 2017
1:00 p.m. -
4:00 p.m.
Any updates
to the schedule or location of these events will be
posted at
www.3rdcc.org
or parties
may contact the Friend of the Court Call Center at
1-877-543-2660
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The
Wayne County Friend of the Court
Legal
Partner Programs
The
William Booth Legal Aid Clinic
Coleman
A. Young Municipal Center
Two
Woodward Avenue, 19th floor, Room
1901, Detroit, Michigan 48226
Default Judgment of Divorce
Clinic
Held
Every 1st
Thursday
of the Month
Doors
open at 10:00 a.m. Parties must arrive by 11:30
a.m.
Attorneys
from the Clinic help qualifying, low income,
self-represented parties prepare all necessary
court documents for Default Judgment of Divorce.
Parties must bring valid photo Identification,
all documents related to the case; including the
Complaint for Divorce, Friend of the Court Final
Recommendation (DM only), and Fee Waiver (if
applicable).
Legal Aid Clinic
Held
Every 2nd & 3rd
Thursday of the Month
12:00
p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Free
help with divorce and Friend of the Court
issues. Attorneys available to help
qualifying low income
self-represented
parties prepare motion packets and forms.
Please arrive early. First come, first
served.
The
Wayne County Legal Resources
Consortium
Penobscot
Building - SMART Detroit 13th
Floor
645
Griswold, Detroit, MI 48226
(313)
961-6120 ext. 210
Jan.
26, Feb. 23, Mar. 23, Apr. 27, May 25, Jun. 22,
Jul. 27, Aug. 24, Sep. 28, Oct. 26, Nov. 30,
Dec. 21, 2017
12:00
p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Local
attorneys and support staff available to
provide information and legal advice.
Michigan
Legal Help Self-Help Centers
Wayne County
Penobscot
Building - Room 1145, 11th
Floor
645
Griswold, Suite 1300, Detroit, MI 48226
Monday
through Thursday
9:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Southwest Detroit
Family
Alliance for Change (Spanish/English)
3627 W.
Vernor, Detroit, MI 48216
Mondays
and Wednesdays
9:00
a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Self-Help
Center staff are available to help you navigate
this website which provides forms,
instructions, and information you may use to
assist you with your legal issues. This
is a free resource for area residents who need
to represent themselves in simple civil legal
matters. The staff cannot provide legal
advice.
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Join our E-mail List and receive our monthly
E-mail newsletter from the Third Judicial
Circuit Court and stay informed.
Please send us your name and email address to
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3cce-news@3rdcc.org
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