Bidding farewell

A retirement party for Judge William Richards, of the 46th District Court in Southfield, took place July 13 at Andiamo's in Bloomfield Hills. Richards, pictured with his successor, Cynthia Arvant of Beverly Hills, was saluted by scores of friends and colleagues at the reception, which featured a heartfelt "thank you" speech by the honoree. A University of Michigan Law School alum, Richards saved special remarks for his wife, Joan, and his two daughters, Jennifer and Kristin, along with his two grandchildren, Ben and Abby. Appointed to the District Court in 2007 by then Governor Jennifer Granholm, Richards was twice re-elected to office, choosing to retire at the end of June following eight years on the bench. He formerly served as a Deputy Attorney General for the State of Michigan. Earlier this month, Arvant was appointed by Governor Rick Snyder to succeed Richards. A graduate of Michigan State University and the former Detroit College of Law, Arvant has served as court administrator and part-time magistrate for the 46th District Court since July 2012. Photo by John Meiu Published: Fri, Jul 24, 2015