By Liz Nass
Gongwer News Service
The state is looking to appoint a new judge to the First District of the Michigan Court of Appeals to fill the seat held by Judge Kirsten Frank Kelly.
The application is on the appointments page for the state, with a deadline of Jan. 9 (https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/appointments).
Kelly was elected to the Court of Appeals in 2000. She was also appointed to the Wayne Circuit Court in 1994 by former Gov. John Engler, has served two terms as the president of Michigan Association of Municipal Judges and served on the board of directors for Michigan District Judges Association.
Kelly won reelection in 2024 with her term set to expire in 2031.
Under a law signed in 2012 by former Gov. Rick Snyder, the First District of the Court of Appeals would have been reduced to six judges if Kelly had not sought reelection in 2024. Kelly getting reelected and then resigning allows Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to appoint a replacement and keep seven judges in the First District.
The rest of the three districts of the Court of Appeals have six judges.
Once Whitmer appoints Kelly’s replacement, she will have appointed 12 of the 25 Court of Appeals judges.
Spokespeople for the courts and the governor declined to further comment on the vacancy.
Gongwer News Service
The state is looking to appoint a new judge to the First District of the Michigan Court of Appeals to fill the seat held by Judge Kirsten Frank Kelly.
The application is on the appointments page for the state, with a deadline of Jan. 9 (https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/appointments).
Kelly was elected to the Court of Appeals in 2000. She was also appointed to the Wayne Circuit Court in 1994 by former Gov. John Engler, has served two terms as the president of Michigan Association of Municipal Judges and served on the board of directors for Michigan District Judges Association.
Kelly won reelection in 2024 with her term set to expire in 2031.
Under a law signed in 2012 by former Gov. Rick Snyder, the First District of the Court of Appeals would have been reduced to six judges if Kelly had not sought reelection in 2024. Kelly getting reelected and then resigning allows Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to appoint a replacement and keep seven judges in the First District.
The rest of the three districts of the Court of Appeals have six judges.
Once Whitmer appoints Kelly’s replacement, she will have appointed 12 of the 25 Court of Appeals judges.
Spokespeople for the courts and the governor declined to further comment on the vacancy.
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