Court and Community News and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion updates

from the Third Judicial Circuit



March 2025

In this issue

• Chief Judge Letter - a Culture of Recognition
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion updates including Women's History Month
• Docket Support Services
• Painting with the Chief Judge
• New FOC Employees
• Mock Trial Competition
• Tech Tips

Creating a Culture of Recognition at the Court

I want to take this opportunity to highlight the fact that Friday, March 7 is Employee Appreciation Day. It’s not necessarily a day for grand gestures, but it’s a day, and March should be a month, where we all recognize and show appreciation for our colleagues. I know I am incredibly grateful for the 460-plus employees we have here at Third Circuit Court.

In fact, I’d like to encourage our teams to foster a culture of employee recognition within our departments and divisions. Our work is important in addressing the needs of this court and Wayne County residents. We want to build trust in the judicial system with all of our stakeholders, and that takes commitment, hard work, and occasionally long hours that can include weekend work commitments.



I recognize that working in the public sector requires sacrifice. Many of us spend as much time with our colleagues as we do with immediate members of our family during a normal work week. Finding small ways to recognize our team members and colleagues is important. Bringing in a plate of homemade cookies for colleagues, and handwriting a brief but meaningful note on a card congratulating your desk neighbor on a job well done might seem small. However, the impact can be significant.

Once again, feel free to email me at chiefjudge@3rdcc.org. Every communication will be read and considered. Thank you for all you are doing in support of this court and Wayne County residents, and for helping to create a culture of recognition here at the court.

Sincerely,

Judge Patricia Perez Fresard

Celebrating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in March

The Third Circuit Court Diversity Equity, and Inclusion Team’s Mission is: "We appreciate our common connection and respect our diverse and unique human experiences. We move forward as an inclusive organization as we provide accessible and equal justice."

The Court’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team strives to ensure the values of its diverse bench, staff, and court users are acknowledged and reflected in our delivery of service as well as our work environment.

The National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA) worked with Congress to establish March as National Women’s History Month in 1987 ensuring diverse women’s voices and contributions are recognized and celebrated. The creation of this month came six years after the NWHA helped to kickstart Women’s History Week.

This month we'll feature two women from Detroit who had significant impacts on their community.

Fannie Peck was the wife of Rev. William Peck, a respected civil and religious leader in Detroit and pastor of Bethel A.M.E. Church. Fannie championed female domestic workers and founded the National Housewives League, headquartered in Detroit, to empower women. The League fought the meat packing industry, along with its high prices and low pay, with the help of Chicago housewives. For example, thousands of women participated in a march that crippled the industry. Peck was a woman of deep faith and in 1936 created the Fannie B. Peck Bethel AME Church Credit Union, which was a stable financial institution for decades.

Ruth Ellis was an African American entrepreneur who described herself as a lesbian during the 1930s, a time when discussing sexual orientation was taboo. Ruth soon moved to Detroit and opened up a print shop, which was unique given that less than 1% of business owners in the U.S. were African American women at the time. Her home became a haven for African Americans of all demographics and orientations, and throughout her life, Ruth advocated for their cause. The Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit continues her work today, providing a supportive environment and community for at-risk, LGBTQ+ young people.

Sources: National Women's History Alliance, Visit Detroit

Employee Appreciation Day is held this year on Friday. March 7. It was created by Bob Nelson, a founding board member of Recognition Professionals International in 1995. The organization was looking to establish an annual day where employers would be encouraged to acknowledge all employees, not just administrative professionals. Employee Appreciation Day continues today as a way for employers to strengthen and improve their relationships with their staff.

Third Circuit Court has over 460 employees, including nearly 60 judges who are dedicated to serve the residents of Wayne County and other constituents. More professionals are being added to the court team throughout the year as we continue to reduce our vacancy rate for open positions.

On March 7 and throughout the month, we encourage team members to recognize their team members and colleagues in small, yet important ways, such as celebrating work anniversaries or sharing a handwritten note. This creates an infectious culture of recognition!

Introducing the Docket Support Services team

The court renamed its department that handles case processing and court reporting services to Docket Support Services effective immediately, and for good reason!

Led by Nancy Hames and Jonathan Sherman, Docket Support Services employs around 30 professionals and is responsible for a variety of tasks, including the coordination and issuance of hearing schedules and notices, development of statistical and management reports, overseeing automated case flow management systems in support of judges and processing and handling transcript and interpreter requests, among other duties.

The name change was made for several reasons, including better aligning with the industry's shift toward courtroom technology and accurately representing the department's broad range of responsibilities. Specifically:

• The court has shifted from using court reporters in courtrooms to digital recording systems. However, court reporters remain valuable team members who help troubleshoot and maintain these recording systems. Court reporters also support other responsibilities within Docket Support Services.
• The term "Case Processing" no longer reflects the wide range of support provided to courtrooms, such as interpreter assignments, training, and other essential functions.
• The new name is broader and more adaptable, allowing the department to expand its support to judges as service needs continue to evolve.

From left: Juanita Hawkins, Nikki Wright, Chief Judge Patricia Perez Fresard,

Lisa White, and Gloria Hamilton show their paintings.

Court employees participate in

"Painting with the Chief Judge"

Four employees discovered a range of artistic talents they possess in February. Juanita Hawkins, Gloria Hamilton, Lisa White and Nikki Wright joined Chief Judge Fresard for a "Painting with the Chief Judge" lunch hour after their names were drawn for the opportunity at the court's Holiday Meet and Greet event in December.

Chief Judge Fresard is an avid painter and helped Juanita, Gloria, Lisa and Nikki create their own, personal masterpieces filled with bright colors. As the American monk and writer Thomas Merton once said, "art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."

Welcome new FOC employees!

Above: Donald Hall III, Vivienne Ross and Claudia Dowdell

We're pleased to welcome another group of new Friend of the Court employees.

Vivienne Ross joins the FOC as an Information Specialist I in the Information Services Department. Though originally from Dearborn, she spent the last three years living in Missouri. She graduated from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2024. In her free time, Vivienne enjoys reading, baking, and playing video games.

Donald Hall III joins the FOC as an Information Specialist I in the Case Establishment Department. Donald has over 12 years of experience in the casino entertainment industry and law enforcement sector. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Madonna University in Livonia. Additionally, Donald has earned Bachelor Certificates of Achievement in Homeland Security and Private Investigation. He also holds an Associate Degree in Computer Information Systems from Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Michigan. Donald graduated with highest honors from both colleges.

In his leisure time, Donald enjoys cooking and dining at various establishments to explore new culinary experiences. He also appreciates attending live music concerts and engages in outdoor activities and martial arts. For 10 years, he has dedicated himself to Hapkido (Korean Martial Art), where he has trained extensively. The philosophy of Hapkido, which translates to “The Art of Coordinated Power,” has been a guiding principle in his life.

Donald has attained his 3rd Degree Black Belt in Hapkido and has served as an instructor for several years. Donald had the privilege of teaching students of all ages, from teenagers to senior citizens. On several occasions, he provided martial arts instruction to individuals with disabilities, which was a profoundly rewarding experience.

Claudia Dowell join the FOC as a Domestic Relations Specialist in the Information Services Department. Claudia was born, and has lived most of her life, here in Detroit. She graduated from Northern Michigan University. Her previous work experience was in the field of property management.

Claudia gained a lot of experience with providing customer service to residents of diverse backgrounds. She is happy to be joining the Friend of the Court team and looks forward to learning, growing, and making valuable contributions.

Terry Collins joins the FOC as an Information Specialist I in the Order Entry Department. Prior to joining the FOC, Terry was employed with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department as a Jail Clerk Specialist. There, he answered inmate grievances using ViaPath and JMS computer format to look up inmate’s jail status, in addition to using Mail Scan to approve or disapprove incoming mail. 

Terry also worked for multiple television stations in the Detroit market, including CW 50 in the Commercial Production department: WXYZ, Channel 7 as a Production Assistant in the Newsroom and WDIV, Channel 4 as an Associate Director in Programming. On a more personal note, Terry has six sisters and no brothers. He’s been vegan for sixteen years and is afraid of birds. Aside from that, he describes himself as reliable and dependable, bringing professionalism, good vibes and positive energy to the workplace. 

Third Circuit Court hosts mock trial competition in February and March

The Michigan Center for Civic Education held its annual high school regional mock trial competition regional series on Saturday, February 8, at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center. Students participating in the mock trial were given case details in advance, giving them time to prepare for it. As the host of the February event, Third Circuit Court judges provided critiques and advice in helping to determine the winning teams.

Student teams were represented by the following schools:

• Crestwood High School in Dearborn Heights
• Early College Alliance at Eastern Michigan University
• Saline High School
• Mercy High School in Farmington Hills
• Northville High School

The winner of February 8 competition was Crestwood High School who advanced to the state finals. A continuation of the regional trial competition was at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center on Saturday March 1 as well.

A special thank you goes to all volunteers, including our Third Judicial Circuit judges who participated in the event, including Judge Bradley Cobb, Judge Qiana Lillard, Judge Nicole Goodson, Judge Lawrence Elassal, Judge Anne McCarthy, and Judge Wanda Evans. 

Tech Tips

Do you know about keyboard shortcuts?



Keyboard shortcuts can save you time, increasing the efficiency of your work while at the computer. Here are several keyboard shortcuts to consider adding into your daily work schedule.

• Alt+d will take you to the address bar of most modern web browsers and windows explorer.
• Ctrl+s is the short cut to save while typing a document.
• Ctrl+Right Arrow (or Left Arrow) will take you to the beginning or the end of the word you are on.
• Ctrl+a will select all text and objects on your screen.
• Ctrl+z will undo your last action.
• Ctrl+x will cut your selection.
• Ctrl+c will copy your selection.
• Ctrl+v will paste your selection.
• Most browsers no longer require you to type in the “www” or “.com”, etc. However, Ctrl+enter will add www. in front of your text and .com behind it.
• Windows Key+d will minimize all your windows and allow you to see your desktop.
• Ctrl+ the plus or minus key will enlarge the entire web picture or reduce it respectively.
• Pressing the spacebar on a webpage will scroll down 1 screen-full.
• Pressing the shift+spacebar will scroll up.
• When you are filling in forms on a document or on a webpage, you can click the Tab button to jump to the next box. If you press shift+tab it will move you backwards.
• Alt+tab will allow you to switch from one open program to another.
• The “Print Screen” button can be used to copy information on your screen into word, etc. If you only want the “active” window to be copied, click alt+print screen. Once you have pressed the print screen button, go into word or outlook, right click and paste. When you hear someone say take a screen shot, this is what you would do.
• Double-clicking a word will highlight the word, triple-clicking will highlight the sentence.
• Double-click the blue bar of a window (title bar) to maximize or reduce the window.
• Right-click on text or objects to see a menu list of options related to that item.
• Most web browsers are configured to use a search engine. Therefore, you can type in the text you are searching for in the address bar rather than going to google or some other search engine first.
• In PowerPoint, to make your presentation not appear on the screen until you want it to appear you have two options:
• Press the B key on the keyboard when you are running your presentation and the screen will go into blackout mode. Press B again to return to the presentation.
• Press the W key on the keyboard when you are running your presentation and the screen will go into whiteout mode. Press W again to return to the presentation.

Find more tips on New York Times Columnist David Pogue’s Top 10 time-saving tech tips.

March 2025

DEI Calendar



As we celebrate inclusivity in March, here are notable days to recognize.

Zero Discrimination Day – March 1

Observed by the United Nations, Zero Discrimination Day promotes equality and addresses the discrimination faced by individuals worldwide, fostering a more inclusive global society.

Employee Appreciation Day – March 7

This day provides a chance for organizations to recognize and celebrate their employees’ hard work and dedication, building morale and fostering a positive workplace culture.

International Women’s Day – March 8

Marks the achievements of women worldwide while advocating for gender equality and women’s rights, bringing attention to critical issues that women face globally.

International Day to Combat Islamophobia – March 15

This day addresses and raises awareness about Islamophobia, encouraging global communities to work together against prejudice, promote inclusivity, and support Muslim communities.

Medal of Honor Day – March 25

A U.S. observance honoring Medal of Honor recipients, this day recognizes those who have demonstrated remarkable valor and sacrifice, highlighting the importance of courage and service.