2024 Judicial Candidate Ratings
The Judicial Candidate Evaluation Committee of the Detroit Bar Association has completed its rating of participating judicial candidates officially running for open seats in the courts of Wayne County for the 2024 election cycle. The Committee is comprised of 33 attorneys from the Detroit Metropolitan area who evaluated the fitness of each candidate for judicial office based upon the candidate’s legal ability (scholarship, analysis, judgment, clarity of expression), trial experience, integrity, honesty, judicial temperament, and reputation, without regard to party affiliation, race or creed. Ratings are given after review of the candidate’s completed questionnaire and/or an in-person interview conducted with an Interview Panel of the Committee. The ratings refer only to a candidate’s qualifications for the position of judge in the court that the candidate is seeking, and do not in any way refer to a candidate’s qualifications as a practicing attorney. The ratings reflect the collective opinion of the Committee and not the Detroit Bar Association as a whole. The ratings for individual candidates are set forth below.
The Judicial Candidate Evaluation Committee has the following categories of ratings: Outstanding, Well Qualified, Qualified, Not Qualified or No Rating/Did not Participate. Ratings were provided only to those who actively participated. The standards for ratings can be found at Judicial Candidate Ratings Guide
Candidate Name | Candidate Rating |
3RD CIRCUIT JUDGE OF CIRCUIT COURT INCUMBENT – 6 YEAR TERM (18) POSITIONS | |
Annette J. Berry (I) | Outstanding |
Lawrence Elassal (I) | Well Qualified |
Edward Ewell, Jr (I) | Outstanding |
Kathleen Marie McCarthy (I) | Outstanding |
Remaining 14 Candidates | No Rating Or Did Not Participate |
3RD CIRCUIT JUDGE OF CIRCUIT COURT INCUMBENT – PARTIAL TERM ENDING 01/01/2027 – (2) POSITIONS | |
Bradley Cobb (I) | No Rating/Did Not Participate |
Nicole N. Goodson (I) | No Rating/Did Not Participate |
3RD CIRCUIT JUDGE OF CIRCUIT COURT NON-INCUMBENT – 6 YEAR TERM (1) POSITION | |
Nicole Leighanne Castka | Well Qualified |
John Larkin | Well Qualified |
Adrienne G. Scruggs | Well Qualified |
36TH DISTRICT JUDGE OF DISTRICT COURT NON-INCUMBENT – 6 YEAR TERM (2) POSITIONS | |
Andrea Bradley-Baskin | Outstanding |
William Burton, Jr. | Qualified |
Khalilia Davis | Not Qualified * Note: Not currently on the ballot |
Malaika Ramsey-Heath | Well Qualified |
35TH DISTRICT JUDGE OF DISTRICT COURT NON-INCUMBENT – 6 YEAR TERM (1) POSITION | |
Joe Barone | Well Qualified |
Michael Woodyard | Well Qualified |
34TH DISTRICT JUDGE OF DISTRICT COURT NON-INCUMBENT – 6 YEAR TERM (1) POSITION | |
Todd L. Barron | Qualified |
Robert P. Coutts | No Rating/Did Not Participate |
Teresa Patton | Well Qualified |
23RD DISTRICT JUDGE OF DISTRICT COURT INCUMBENT – 6 YEAR TERM (1) POSITION | |
Victoria I. Shackelford (I) | Outstanding |
Michael I. Tinney | Well Qualified |
18TH DISTRICT JUDGE OF DISTRICT COURT NON-INCUMBENT – 6 YEAR TERM (1) POSITION | |
Michael McNamara | No Rating/Did Not Participate |
16TH DISTRICT JUDGE OF DISTRICT COURT NON-INCUMBENT – 6 YEAR TERM (1) POSITION | |
Jim Jolly | No Rating/Did Not Participate |
Robin Persiconi | No Rating/Did Not Participate |
WAYNE JUDGE OF PROBATE COURT NON-INCUMBENT – 6 YEAR TERM (2) POSITIONS | |
Todd E. Briggs | No Rating/Did Not Participate |
Macie Gaines | Outstanding |
Ron L. Haywood | No Rating/Did Not Participate |
Daniel L. Mercier | No Rating/Did Not Participate |
About the Detroit Bar Association: The Detroit Bar Association is a membership organization of attorneys, judges and industry partners. It is the oldest Bar Association in Michigan and the second oldest in the country and serves Detroit’s legal community through networking, practice development and community service. For more information contact: Executive Director Tracey Cooley, tcooley@detroitlawyer.org, 734.969.5681, www.detroitlawyer.org.