Among the candidates who will appear on next week’s general election ballot are two who are running in Washtenaw County’s non-incumbent 22nd Circuit Court judge race.
Voters will decide if they want to elect Nick Roumel or Tracy E. Van Den Bergh to a six-year term to the circuit court. The winner will hear civil and criminal cases for the Washtenaw County Trial Court. Eastern Michigan University Associate Professor of Political Science Barbara Patrick says, usually, judge races are underrated during elections, but their outcomes play a major role in local social justice.
Barbara Patrick: Specifically, when we talk about sentencing and issues tied to sentencing equality, oftentimes that’s decided in the courtroom. And people don’t give a lot of attention to that.
Patrick says police brutality, racial profiling, and concerns over how search warrants are issued are other key social justice topics local judges may influence.
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— Jorge Avellan is a reporter for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him javellan@emich.edu
