Daily Briefs

Gov. Snyder appoints judges to 9th Circuit and 8th District courts


Gov. Rick Snyder on Thursday announced the appointments of Chief Judge Paul J. Bridenstine to the 9th Circuit Court and Christopher Haenicke to the 8th District Court.
Bridentine currently serves as chief judge of the 8th District Court and is being replaced by Haenicke. Bridenstine is replacing Judge J. Richardson Johnson who resigned from the 9th District Court.

“Chief Judge Bridenstine has an exemplary record of service on the District Court, which I am confident will continue in his new role on the Circuit Court,” Snyder said. “Chris Haenicke is an outstanding attorney who will be an asset to the District Court.”

Bridenstine served on the 8th District Court bench since 2000.  He is an instructor at Western Michigan University where he teaches political science and has also taught at Davenport College.  Bridenstine worked with the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office from 1992 to 2000 as an assistant prosecuting attorney. He began his career as a law clerk at the U.S. District Court after earning a degree from the University of Detroit in 1991.  He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame.

Haenicke is vice president at Greenleaf Trust, where he worked for 13 years.  He was also in private practice for nine years. Haenicke is a member of the Oshtemo Township Citizen Ad Hoc Police Protection Committee and has been a member of the Rotary Club of Oshtemo, the Southwest Michigan Professionals Network, the Kalamazoo County Bar Association, and other various community organizations.  He earned a degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1993 and also has a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University.

Both appointees must seek election in November 2016 to serve the remaining portions of their terms.

 

Volunteers needed to preside over mock trials in February


Experienced trial attorneys and trial judges are needed to volunteer for the regional rounds of the National Trial Competition on Feb. 6, 7 and 8.

Wayne State University Law School will host the regional rounds of the competition. Twenty teams from 10 law schools in Michigan and Ohio will compete in 36 mock trials at the Theodore Levin U.S. Courthouse, 231 W. Lafayette Blvd.

Nearly 150 volunteers are needed to preside over the mock trials and evaluate competitors’ performances.

Volunteers are needed for all rounds of the competition:

Round I – 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6

Round II – 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 7

Round III – 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 7

Quarterfinals – 8 a.m. to noon Sunday, Feb. 8

Semifinals – 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.,  Feb. 8

To volunteer, email David Moss at david.moss@wayne.edu with the round or rounds you are available for participation.

 

Holiday Hours
 

The 36th District Court will be closed on Monday, January 19 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The court will reopen Tuesday, January 20

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