July, 2010

The Oakland County Democratic Party has announced its endorsements for judicial races in the county. 

Dana Margaret Hathaway, since 2004, has worked at Bowman and Brooke, LLP, a nationally known civil litigation firm with offices around the country. Hathaway has represented both indigent clients as well as Fortune 500 companies in various civil litigation matters. Dana has maintained a general civil litigation practice where she has litigated product liability, personal injury, commercial
and probate and family matters. Dana Hathaway has successfully passed both the Michigan and Illinois bar examinations and has handled matters for my clients all over the country. Her dedication to community service has been recognized by the Legal Aid and
Defender Association. I have received the pro bono spirit award for
my commitment to helping those in need of legal services in the area of probate law. Click here for campaign web site.

J. Martin Brennan has been engaged in the general practice of law for over 30 years. Brennan's practice has been confined to the tricounty area and I represent both plaintiffs and defendant in civil and criminal litigation which has included significant amount of family law and probate matters.  Brennan was a prosecutor for 16 years and also represented the State of Michigan as a Special Assistant Attorney General.

Brennan is a Case Evaluator for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb County Circuit Courts. I have also been appointed as an independent facilitator and mediator for numerous civil disputes
including commercial, negligence and probate matters.

 Judge Bill Richards is the newest Judge of the 46th District Court (Southfield). Appointed to the bench by Governor Jennifer Granholm to succeed Judge Stephen Cooper, Judge Richards is a longtime local resident with a distinguished career in government. As Senior Policy Adviser for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, he was responsible for environmental policy and legal issues for the past four years. Earlier, he was a staff attorney in the Federal Defender Office and law clerk to Judge Cornelia Kennedy.

Elected to the Court in 2004 to succeed Judge Edward Avadenka, Marc Barron has been a career Oakland County Prosecutor, with 12 years service in District, Circuit and Family Courts. In his 7 years as Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor for Major Crimes, he handled only the most serious criminal cases including murder, assault, criminal sexual conduct and other felonies.

Born and raised in Oakland County, he attended Andover High School before earning his Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics and Finance (with honors) from the University of Arizona. He continued his honors studies at American University and the Washington College of Law where he earned his Juris Doctorate Degree, then clerked at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. prior to returning home to Oakland County.

Judge Barron is active in the Oakland County Bar Association Inn of Court Program, as well as Oakland County Teen Court where he served both as Prosecutor and now as Judge. For ten years he was Instructor in Crimes Against Property and Crimes Against Persons at the Oakland Police Academy.

Judge Barron is a member of the Child Abuse Neglect Council/Care House of Oakland County Advisory Board, American Judges Association, Michigan District Judges Association, State Bar of Michigan, Oakland County Bar Association, Oakland County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and Birmingham Rotary Club.

REMINDER:  Judges are on the non-partisan portion of your ballot.  Remember to vote for the judicial candidates.