LANSING, Mich. — Judge Michelle Rick is the only candidate to submit signatures to qualify for and appear on August's ballot for the Michigan Court of Appeals, 4th Judicial District. Once the Board of Canvassers certify the signatures she submitted on April 16, and supplemented on April 21, Judge Rick will be the only name to be printed on both the primary ballot on Aug. 4 and the general election on Nov. 3.
“My focus has been to reach out to voters and share my commitment to serve them as the people’s judge,” Judge Rick said. “The people of Michigan deserve a voice on the bench whom they know. Before Governor Whitmer issued the Emergency Order to stay home, I traveled to many community events throughout the 56 counties of the 4th Judicial District. After the Governor’s Order, I continued my community outreach through a mailing campaign and remote meetings. I have undertaken these actions to build confidence and trust with the public. To learn more about me and my campaign, please visit my website www.judgemichellerick4micoa.net [judgemichellerick4micoa.net] I will continue to engage with Michiganders so that they know I am a judge for the people.”
Judge Rick submitted over 7,600 signatures, more than required to qualify for the Aug. 4 primary, where she is running as a non-incumbent for an open seat. Judge Rick will go on to the Nov. 3 General Election as the sole candidate for the spot. Rick needed 6,200 signatures to qualify for the ballot, a requirement that was halved to 3,100 to accommodate challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rick submitted a supplemental filing on May 8 because she continued to receive signed petitions that day.
The Michigan Court of Appeals, 4th Judicial District position is currently held by Judge Patrick Meter, who will retire from the bench when his term expires Jan. 1, 2021. Judge Rick currently serves as the Chief Judge Pro Tem of the 29th Circuit Court covering Gratiot and Clinton counties. The Court of Appeals 4th District is based in Lansing and covers a wide swath of Michigan, from mid-Michigan counties like Ingham and Livingston counties, to the thumb, through northern lower Michigan, and the entire Upper Peninsula.
Judge Rick was deputy legal counsel for Gov. Jennifer Granholm from 2006-2007, before joining the 29th Circuit Court. From 1995-2006, she was an assistant attorney general focused on consumer protections. She also has experience in private practice and as an assistant Livingston County prosecutor. Born in Bay City and raised in Gaylord, Judge Rick also spent weeks in the summer as a child at her parents’ cabin in Gogebic County. She continues to share her love of Upper Michigan with her own family. Judge Rick is a graduate of Michigan State University and the University of Detroit School of Law. She and her husband, Matthew raised their four children in DeWitt, Michigan.
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