Circuit judge honored by MAJ

Calhoun County Circuit Court Judge James C. Kingsley is the 2012 recipient of the Michigan Judges Association’s Hilda Gage Award for Judicial Excellence.

The award, presented to Kingsley earlier this month during a ceremony in Dearborn, is named in honor of the late Judge Hilda Gage, who served on the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Oakland County Circuit Court.

The award recognizes current and former circuit court and Court of Appeals judges who have excelled in trial and docket management, legal scholarship, and contributions to the profession and the community.

The award also honors judges who serve their profession and their communities with integrity, skill, and courage.

Kingsley is a graduate of Albion College and the Northwestern University School of Law. He has served as a Calhoun county circuit judge since 1982 and has also served as his court’s chief judge.

A faculty member for the Michigan Judicial Institute and lectures at Albion College, Kingsley has served as a member and president of both the Michigan Judges Association and the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission.

Retired Supreme Court Justice Alton T. “Tom” Davis said “Kingsley has exemplified, without lapse, the high standards of professional conduct and scholarship we ask all in our profession to aspire to.

Calhoun County Circuit Court Chief Judge Allen L. Garbrecht said Kingsley, “by his words and his actions, has shown me how an outstanding trial judge should act on the bench, off the bench, and in the community. I have been blessed to be his colleague.”

Albion College president Dr. Donna M. Randall noted that Kingsley’s “capacity to understand the depth and nuances of politics is exceptional.

“Equally impressive,” Randall added, “is his ability to frame the issues in ways that students understand.”

Members of the MJA are current and former judges of Michigan circuit courts and the Michigan Court of Appeals.

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