When Ann Arbor 15th District Court Judge Joseph Burke announced he’s retiring at the end of the year, it opened his seat to two new candidates. Both candidates have a lot of experience in Washtenaw County courtrooms.
Tamara Garwood is the current court magistrate. She was appointed to the bench by Burke in 2016 when he was the chief. Garwood says a key to courtroom success is to treat everybody equally.
“Everybody gets respect. Everybody gets treated fairly. I think it’s really important as a judge to not just hear what people are saying but to actually listen to what they are saying.”
Kerene Moore is Director of Conviction Integrity and Expungement for the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office, She says she would like to bring more compassion to the bench.
“We know Michigan ranks dead last among the states in provision of crime victim’s services. We know that is always felt like there have been two justice systems: one for people who can and one for people who can’t afford an attorney.”
Early voting begins in Michigan next Saturday.
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