Kalamazoo County residents this year will vote to fill several judicial openings, although a primary contest exists in just one.
Michigan voters will elect two supreme court justices in November. Democrat Kyra Harris Bolden, appointed to the court by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in November 2022, after she lost a race for the post earlier that year, is seeking election. Republican David Viviano, a justice since 2013, is retiring. Candidates are selected by Democrats and Republicans at state conventions instead of by voters in primary elections.
Incumbent appellate judges Kristen Frank Kelly and Michael J. Riordan are unopposed seeking re-election to two six-year terms in the 1st District of the Michigan Court of Appeals.
In Kalamazoo County, incumbent Probate Judge Curtis Bell is running unopposed for another six-year term.
Incumbent District Judges Christopher Haenicke and Alisa Parker-LaGrone are unopposed for re-election to six-year terms.
In the only contested judicial race on the August ballot, three candidates are running for a new judgeship, one 8-year term, in Kalamazoo’s 9th Circuit Court. The opening, created to meet a rising caseload in the court, brings the number of circuit court judges to six. The three candidates, all from Kalamazoo, are Christine Morse, Mariko Willis and Angelique Camfield. Circuit, probate and district judges in Michigan are paid $172,135.
Angelique Camfield
If you’re tired of partisan politics, vote for Angelique Camfield! I am the only experienced, truly non-partisan candidate. With over 27 years of actual courtroom experience and multiple philanthropic endeavors, I am the clear choice for 9th Circuit Court Judge. I’ve handled thousands of hearings and hundreds of trials. I have practiced in multiple legal areas, including 15 years prosecuting, over 9 years as a public defender, employment discrimination, divorce and abuse/neglect matters. I know how to rule on evidence and how experts should be qualified at trial – skills imperative for a judge handling criminal trials.
I was awarded the prestigious LaVern Brann Memorial Award by Sexual Assault Services of Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan 15 Year Service Award, have been a Who’s Who Top Attorney, and I’m on the board for Legal Aid of Western Michigan.
I hope to create a Domestic Violence Treatment Court, and to initiate a county-wide mental health coalition to increase mental health services in the county for trauma victims. I promise to rule impartially, equitably, courteously and with integrity. Vote Camfield because experience matters!
Christine Morse
Christine Morse is a candidate for 9th Circuit Court Judge in Kalamazoo County. She attended Wayne State University Law School and has been licensed in the State of Michigan since 1999. Christine has experience in both criminal and civil litigation. She interned for St. Clair and Berrien County prosecutors’ offices and for Federal District Judge Gerald E. Rosen of the Eastern District of Michigan. Christine practiced birth trauma litigation in Detroit. Due to her husband’s military service, Christine moved to California in 1999 where she passed the bar. In California, she practiced medical malpractice litigation and subsequently worker’s compensation law.
Christine is currently serving as state representative for the 40th District. She is chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee for Health and Human Services. She is a member of the Michigan Supreme Court’s Child Legal Representation Task Force. She was Michigan Guardianship Association’s 2023 Legislator of the Year.
If elected, protecting victims’ rights and community safety will be Christine’s priorities as well as continued criminal justice reform. Acting with integrity and applying fairness in all matters before her will guide her decision-making. She intends to make the courtroom a less intimidating place, and connect individuals with the resources they need to succeed.
Mariko Willis
I am running for the new 9th Circuit Court judge position. This is a non-partisan, county-wide elected position with a primary election taking place on August 6, 2024.
As a candidate for the new 9th Circuit Court judge position, I bring a distinguished background marked by both military service and legal expertise. I am a United States Marine having served over 13 years of active and reserve duty. I have worked at my brothers’ law firm, Willis Law, for 14 years working my way up through the ranks. In 2022, I also established my own practice, Fidelis Counselor at Law, with the intent to work specifically with veterans, law enforcement, the elderly, those who cannot afford legal services, and those who cannot physically make it to an attorney’s office. I have been recognized as a Rising Star in Super Lawyers for multiple consecutive years, an honor reserved for only 2.5% of practicing attorneys in the State of Michigan. A vote for me signifies support for equality, impartiality, and adherence to the rule of law, promising a judiciary characterized by diligence, empathy, and a steadfast commitment to justice.
Vote for Willis on August 6th!
