The Only Candidate With 22 Years of Everyday Courtroom Experience. Endorsed by Judges, Lawyers and Community Leaders. Union Member -- UAW Local 2325 - Association of Legal Aid Attorneys. Community Volunteer Working With Adult Literacy Programs, Youth Civic Education, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Tonquish Lodge #32 in Plymouth. Michael has been trying cases in the 35th District Court and courts across the state for the past 22 years. But even more than the hundreds and hundreds of cases he's handled, and the innumerable people he's helped and supported, it is the nature of his courtroom experience and his public service that makes it clear that Michael has the values we need in our next 35th District Court judge. He started his legal career as an assistant prosecutor in Wayne County, where for 15 years Michael advocated for and stood alongside survivors of domestic violence and child abuse. For seven years, Michael has served as a defense attorney, defending the rights of those the government has accused of wrongdoing. That everyday, face-to-face courtroom experience has taught Michael the importance of judges who are fair and who treat each person who comes into the court with respect. His first post at the WCPO was in the misdemeanor Domestic Violence unit in Detroit's 36th District Court. He was soon moved to a high-profile role in the Child Abuse Unit where he developed a reputation as a lawyer who was especially adept at supporting families and children who found themselves cast into the confusing and frightening world of the criminal legal system. He prosecuted the most serious crimes, including homicide, sexual abuse, and firearm deaths. As a child abuse prosecutor, Michael was regularly invited to present at state-wide forums and training seminars for police, prosecutors, medical professionals, and others who worked with survivors. After a decade in Child Abuse, Michael was appointed to the prosecutor's elite Public Integrity Unit, where he was responsible for investigating and prosecuting elected officials, law enforcement officers, and other high-profile defendants. In 2017, Michael left the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office and soon launched his own firm, working primarily in criminal defense and family law. Michael is now a Staff Attorney at Neighborhood Defender Service of Detroit – the public defender’s office in Wayne County. There, he and the NDS team fight to protect the rights of some of our community's most vulnerable people by providing a holistic defense to indigent clients who are charged with serious felonies. Michael lives in Canton with his two children. He has lived in Canton, Wayne County and Southeast Michigan since 1977. Michael's dad is a retired university professor, and his mom continues to work as the Executive Director of the Dearborn Community Fund. He received his Bachelor's Degree from Eastern Michigan University, majoring in English with a minor in Creative Writing. After college Michael worked as a print newspaper reporter in Ohio, New York and Detroit. In 2002, Michael obtained his Law Degree from Wayne State University Law School.