Several look to unseat incumbents

With the Tuesday, May 1 filing deadline for most judicial seats in Michigan having passed, several challengers have opted to vie for seats on the bench where incumbents are seeking re-election.

Deborah Carley, the division chief for the Michigan Attorney General’s Office Children and Youth Services Division, and William Rollstin, a first assistant criminal attorney in the Michigan Attorney General’s Detroit office, are each seeking one of five seats up for grabs on the Oakland County Circuit Court bench. All five judges who currently occupy those seats — Leo Bowman, Phyllis McMillen, Denise Langford Morris, Wendy Potts and Michael Warren — have filed for re-election to a six-year term that pays about $139,500 annually.

Five candidates are seeking to replace outgoing Circuit Court Family Division Judge Edward Sosnick, who cannot run for re-election this year due to age. In that five-person race are Dan Christ, Sahera Housey, Karen McDonald, Jason Pernick, and Layne Ashley Sakwa. The position’s term is six years and the pay is about $139,500 annually.

Probate Court Judge Linda S. Hallmark is also running unchallenged for re-election to a six-year term.

Incumbent 48th District Court Judge Diane D’Agostini is seeking another six-year term on the bench for the court that serves West Bloomfield Township and Orchard Lake in the lakes area. Also vying for her seat are Josh Arnkoff and Steven Schwartz, both of Bloomfield Hills, and Gary R. Sanfield.

Judge Jodi Debbrecht of the 51st District Court, who was appointed by former Gov. Jennifer Granholm after McMillen was tapped to serve on the Oakland County Circuit Court, will face a challenge from Waterford Township attorney Andrea Dean. The 51st District Court serves only Waterford.

Judge Robert Bondy of the 52-1 District Court is unchallenged for another six-year term. That court handles cases coming out of Walled Lake and Wixom, as well as Commerce, Highland and Milford townships, the Village of Wolverine Lake, and the village of Milford.

District court judges are paid $138,272 annually.