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Trial Court judges are elected for terms of six years in non-partisan elections. A candidate must be a qualified elector, a resident of the judicial circuit, a lawyer who has been licensed to practice law for at least five years, and under 70 years of age.
The Honorable Archie C. Brown6 year term expires January, 2017Judge Archie Cameron Brown served as both the Chief Judge of the Washtenaw County Circuit Court from 2002 to 2007 and Chief Judge of the Washtenaw County Probate Court from 2004 to 2007. He previously served as Chief Judge of the Washtenaw County Trial Court from 2002 to 2004. He currently serves as Presiding Judge of the Family Division of the Circuit Court. J Judge Brown has served as Parliamentarian of the Representative Assembly of the State Bar of Michigan, after having served in the Assembly for two terms. He currently serves on the Rules Committee of the Michigan Judges Association, and is a past Chair of the Washtenaw County Criminal Justice Collaborative Council and is currently an Adjunct Professor at Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Judge Brown is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, American Bar Association, Washtenaw County Bar Association, Michigan Judges Association, American Judges Association, American Judicature Society, the Federalist Society, the Catholic Lawyers Guild, and is a Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation. An Ann Arbor native, Judge Brown received his Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit School of Law, and his Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Michigan University. He has served on the Boards of several civic and charitable community organizations.
The Honorable Timothy P. Connors6 year term expires January, 2013 Judge Timothy Connors was appointed to the Circuit Court in 1997. Previously he served as Chief Judge of the 15th District Court from August 1991 to 1997, replacing the Honorable George W. Alexander. Judge Connors served as Chief Judge of the Washtenaw County Circuit Court and Washtenaw County Trial Court from 1998-2001. Judge Connors attended Columbia University and the University of Michigan (UM), earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from UM in 1977. He received his Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School in 1980. He has served as an Adjunct Professor at Wayne State University Law School since 1993, as a lecturer on the University of Michigan Law School faculty since 2008, and has served as faculty for the Michigan Judicial Institute and the Institute for Continuing Legal Education. In addition, he has been a guest lecturer for Cooley Law School and Eastern Michigan University. In 1993, 1996 and 2009 Judge Connors received the Justice Blair Moody Award for Significant Contributions to Judicial Excellence from the Washtenaw County Association for Justice. In 2002, Judge Connors was inducted into the Ann Arbor Huron High School Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Graduate. Judge Connors has served as Washtenaw County Chair of the Irish Perennial Rescue Society since 1996. In 2009 Judge Connors received the Patriot Award from the Washtenaw County Bar Association for outstanding service to the Bench, the Bar and the Community. Judge Connors currently serves on the Michigan Supreme Court’s special committee to develop a court resource guide for the implementation of the Federal Indian Child Welfare Act in Michigan. Judge Connors also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Midwest Eye Bank.
The Honorable Nancy C. Wheeler (Francis)6 year term expires January, 2015 Nancy C. Wheeler was born and raised in Ann Arbor. She graduated from Ann Arbor St. Thomas High School and received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Michigan. She was an activist for civil rights and liberties throughout her adult life and practiced law for 16 years primarily representing low and moderate income citizens through a unique, locally-funded, comprehensive legal services program.
Judge Wheeler was the first African-American in the Washtenaw County judiciary. Judge Wheeler serves on the Juvenile Rules Committee of the Michigan Judicial Conference, is a member of the Board of Michigan Children's Charter and a member of the Michigan Committee on the Over-representation of Minority Youth in Confinement. For a number of years she was on the National Judicial Advisory Council of the Center for the Study of Youth Policy. She is a member of the Juvenile and Family Court Judges' Network of the Black Community Crusade for Children, the Association of Black Judges of Michigan, the National Lawyers Guild and is a Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation. Judge Wheeler is the recipient of a number of awards including the Sojourner Truth national Meritorious Service Award from the National Association of Negro and Professional Women and Medal for Excellence in Bi-Lingual Literacy through the South American Literacy Society. Judge Wheeler is vice-chair of the Family Services Collaborative which is the County's multi-purpose body, a member of the Board of Directors of Aquademics and of Huron Valley Ambulance, Inc. And a Friend of the Ann Arbor District Library. She has served in every possible capacity in her family except that of grandparent.
The Honorable Melinda Morris6 year term expires January, 2013 Melinda Morris is the first woman to serve as circuit judge in Washtenaw County history. She now serves as a judge in the Washtenaw County Trial Court Civil/Criminal Division. In November 2000, she was elected to her third six year term by the voters of Washtenaw County. She served as chief judge of the 22nd Circuit Court from 1992 - 1995. She served on committees of the Michigan Judicial Institute and the Unified Trial Court Demonstration Project. In 1994, Judge Morris was appointed by the Supreme Court to serve on the Michigan Justice Planning Committee, which provided valuable input to the Supreme Court regarding court reform.
Judge Morris currently is a member of the Michigan State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. She received the Justice Blair Moody "Outstanding Judge" Award in 1994 from the Washtenaw County Chapter of the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association, the Mary E. Foster Award from the Women Lawyers of Michigan in 1995 and the Professionalism and Civility Award from the Washtenaw County Bar Association in 2000. Judge Morris has an outstanding record of community service. She has served on the Washtenaw County Community Mental Health Board, the Legal Aid Board, the Soundings Board, and the Ann Arbor Schools' Committee on Excellence. In 2001 she received the distinguished service award from the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation.
The Honorable Darlene A. O'Brien6 year term expires January, 2013 Judge Darlene A. O’Brien was appointed Washtenaw County Probate Judge by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm in 2006 and won election later that year. She earned her bachelors degree summa cum laude from University of Toledo in 1977, and graduated in 1980 from Notre Dame Law School. Following a federal judicial clerkship, O’Brien began private practice in Michigan in 1981. She had an active trial practice for 24 years, representing clients in criminal and civil matters including those heard in probate and family court. She was admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court, E.D. Mich., as well as the U. S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Judge O’Brien belongs to the American Bar Association, State Bar of Michigan, Washtenaw County Bar Association, the American Constitution Society for Law & Policy and Women Lawyers Association of Michigan. Judge O’Brien has served on the board of the Center for Occupational and Personalized Education since 1994, including terms as president, vice-president, secretary and executive committee member. She has also been active on the board of Ann Arbor’s Neutral Zone teen center. As probate judge in the Family Division Judge O’Brien hears matters involving estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, mental health hearings, domestic relations, abuse and neglect and juvenile delinquency cases. She has served on the Probate Council for the Probate and Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan since 2009 and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Michigan Probate Judges Association since 2011.
The Honorable Donald E. Shelton6 year term expires January, 2015 Judge Donald E. Shelton has been a Circuit Judge since 1990. He serves as Chief Judge of both the Circuit and Probate Courts, collectively known as the Washtenaw County Trial Court. A circuit judge since 1990, Judge Shelton is also the presiding judge of the Juvenile Court. Judge Shelton has a distinguished record of public service including serving as a member of the Eastern Michigan University Board of Regents from 1987-1990, serving as mayor of the City of Saline from 1978-1986, and chairing the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) from 1983-1985. A long-time resident of the Saline area, he also has been a member of the city's planning commission, urban design commission, economic development corporation, and tax increment finance authority. Saline's "Shelton Industrial Park" was named for him in recognition of his community efforts. Born in Jackson, Judge Shelton earned his undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University, his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School, his Masters degree in Criminology from Eastern Michigan University, and his PhD in Judicial Studies from the University of Nevada. He served as a captain in the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps from 1969-1974, earning the Meritorious Service Medal in 1974 He is the author of several legal texts and has had numerous articles published in professional publications. In 2007, Judge Shelton received the Frank J. Kelley Distinguished Public Servant Award presented by the State Bar of Michigan. In 1994, he was nominated as a candidate for the Michigan Supreme Court. In 1992 he received the “Justice Blair Moody Judge of the Year" Award. Prior to joining the circuit bench, Judge Shelton was a partner in an Ann Arbor law firm and received the "Attorney of the Year" Award from the Washtenaw Trial Lawyers Association. Judge Shelton has been an adjunct criminology and political science professor at Eastern Michigan University since 1997 and has written for and lectured at numerous academic and professional organizations throughout the United States. Follow the link for Judge Shelton's complete resume.
The Honorable David S. Swartz6 year term expires January, 2015 Judge David S. Swartz serves as Chief Judge Pro Tem of the Washtenaw County Trial Court and Presiding Judge of the Civil/Criminal Division. Judge Swartz was appointed to the 14A District Court Bench by Governor Engler in January of 1995, and was then appointed to the Circuit Court in April, 1997.
Prior to coming to the bench, the Judge's career was entirely devoted to litigation. Judge Swartz served as an Assistant Washtenaw County Prosecutor from 1973 to 1982. Thereafter, he spent the next thirteen years as a civil litigator in private practice. In addition to the State Bar of Michigan, where he served as a member of the Representative Assembly, Judge Swartz is a past president of the Washtenaw County Bar Association and a Life Fellow of the State Bar Foundation.
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WASHTENAW COUNTY <br>TRIAL COURT
WASHTENAW COUNTY
TRIAL COURT
TRIAL COURT
Washtenaw County Trial Court
101 E. Huron St., PO Box 8645
Ann Arbor, MI 48107-8645
(734) 222-3270
tcadmin@ewashtenaw.org
Trial Court Judges
Home
udge Brown was appointed by Governor John Engler to
the 15th District Court in March of 1997 and subsequently was appointed to
the Washtenaw County Circuit Court in March of 1999. He is currently
assigned to the Family Division, Civil Division and Criminal Division
of the Court.
Judge Wheeler served as a volunteer in the United
States Peace Corps in Peru.
Judge Morris earned her undergraduate degree in
1961 and graduated with honors from theUniversity of Michigan Law School in
1963. She is past president of the Washtenaw County Bar Association. During
her term as WCBA president, she initiated "No Bills Day" in Washtenaw
County.
O’Brien also taught trial practice for Institute of
Continuing Legal Education, including its Deposition Skills seminars and
authored the “Pleading” chapter in the Michigan Causes of Action treatise
for ICLE. She has civil court mediator training and served as a case
evaluator for the 15th District Court. In 2005, the Women Lawyers
Association of Michigan, Washtenaw Chapter presented O’Brien with the Mary
E. Foster award for her leadership and contributions to women 
Born in Ann Arbor, Judge Swartz earned a Bachelor
of Science degree from Central Michigan University in 1969, and a Juris
Doctor degree from Case Western Reserve University Law School in 1972.