“Understanding the Michigan judiciary” will be the topic as the Eastside Republican Club hosts a four-judge forum at 7:30 p.m., Tues., April 11, at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.
Participating in the panel will be Court of Appeals judges Christopher Murray and Michael J. Riordan, Presiding Judge Kathleen M. McCarthy of the family-domestic division for Wayne County Circuit, and Judge Edward Joseph of the family-juvenile division.
Commenting in advance of the forum, club chairman Dr. Annette DeSantis Feldpausch noted, “While the spotlight seems to focus on appointment of U.S. Supreme Court justices, we voters in Michigan actually elect judges to our court of appeals and circuit courts in nonpartisan elections.”
Find out what's happening in Grosse Pointefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Feldpausch added, “That’s why it’s essential for citizens to understand the Michigan court system and to be familiar with our judges.”
“This forum will give us the opportunity to hear from, and then to ask questions of our four guest judges.”
Find out what's happening in Grosse Pointefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Forum is open to the public at no charge.
Judge Murray of Grosse Pointe Farms was appointed to Michigan’s Court of Appeals in 2002. Most recently, in 2014 he ran unopposed and was elected to another six-year term. He previously served as a judge on the Wayne Circuit Court, as deputy legal counsel to Gov. John Engler, and as a private practice attorney.
Murray currently serves on the board of directors of the Catholic Lawyers’ Society, the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, the Board of Advisors for the Michigan chapter of the Federalist Society, and on the Michigan Board of Law Examiners. Murray is a graduate of Hillsdale College and the University of Detroit School of Law.
Judge Riordan of Plymouth was appointed to Michigan’s Court of Appeals in 2012 and elected to a full six-year term later the same year. Previously, he worked as assistant U.S. attorney, as assistant general counsel for Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, and in the enforcement division of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Riordan serves as professor of securities regulation and business organizations at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, and was elected adjunct professor of the year in 2010. He is vice-president of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law Alumni Association, and is on the board of the Catholic Lawyers Society. Judge Riordan received his BA from Michigan State University and his JD, cum laude, from the University of Detroit School of Law.
Judge McCarthy, a Grosse Pointe native, has served the Wayne County Family Court bench since 2001, and in 2013 was named presiding judge. The State Bar of Michigan recently commended her for 15 years of service.
As adjunct professor, McCarthy has taught family law and law firm courses at the University of Detroit Mercy Law School since 2011. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and J.D. from Detroit College of Law.
Judge Joseph of Grosse Pointe Farms was appointed by Gov. Snyder to Wayne County’s 3rd Circuit Court in April 2014, and was then elected to a full six-year term in November 2014. He serves in the court’s juvenile division. Joseph pioneered and presently leads a problem solving court docket for juveniles with mental health issues. He serves on boards of the Catholic Lawyers Society, the Human Services Community Collaborative for Wayne County, and the Child’s Hope board for the Child Abuse and Neglect Council.
Joseph received a business degree from the University of Michigan and a law degree, cum laude, from Wayne State University Law School. Prior to joining the court, Joseph was an attorney in private practice from 1991 to 2014. He also previously served as a special assistant attorney general.
The Eastside Republican Club Forum meets monthly from September to May. Admission is free and the public is always welcome. Stay up-to-date and "like" the ERC on Facebook.
