NEWSLETTER
   JULY/AUGUST  2019 
July/August 2019 Newsletter Headlines
Employee Highlight of the Month
 
July - Employee Highlight 
of the Month
Lauren Cobb
Official Court Reporter
Administration/Court Reporting 
 
 
 
Q. How many years have you been employed with the Court?
A. Sixteen years; however, I have been a court reporter for 32 years.
Q. Do you have any skills or talents that most people don't know about?
A.   Yes, I do.
Q. If you could be anywhere other than here right this minute, where would you be?
A. On a quiet sunny beach with a bikini on, sipping a nice, cold umbrella drink!
Q. Who do you admire, and why?
A. My parents because they went through so much to raise five children; and they never gave up, and they did not give up on me.
Q. Finish this sentence. "On Sunday mornings, you can usually find me..."
A. Relaxing at home with friends and/or family after church, playing computer games and eating, or strategizing with my investment club members looking for our next big investment!
Q. What do you think are the best skills that you bring to your job?
A. Being kind to people because you never know what someone is going through.
Q. Name three words that describe you.
A. Honest, funny, grateful.
Q. What are you happiest doing when you're not working?
A. Going to the movies, playing Words with Friends.
Q. What is your personal motto?
A. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Q. What are some causes you care about?
A. There are many but mainly: St. Jude's Cancer Research, MS Society, elder abuse, to name a few.
Q. What is an enjoyable part of your job?
A. Laughing and talking with my coworkers.
Q. What are some career highlights?
A. Seeing prior juveniles coming back to have their records expunged after learning the error of their ways.
Q. What is your dream job?
A. I've always loved court reporting!
Q. What college/university did you go to?
A.   Wayne State University and Macomb Academy of Court Reporting, which is now closed.
Q. What's a little-known fact you're willing to share?
A.  I enjoy eating good food!
  
 
August - Employee Highlight 
of the Month
Bridgette Tyus - 
Manager of Case Establishment
Family Domestic 
 
 
 
Q. How many years have you been employed with the Court?
A. I have been employed with the Court for 30 years. I have worked in several departments over the years. I am currently the Director of the Case Establishment Department.
 
Q. Do you have any skills or talents that most people don't know about?
A. I like gardening and I enjoy organizing spaces, whether at home or at the office. I find being outdoors relaxing. It really helps me shift focus after a busy day.
 
Q. If you could be anywhere other than here right this minute, where would you be?
A. I would be in Hawaii. It's the weather and the no rush atmosphere that draws me to it. Also there is a lot of opportunity to explore so many different outdoor experiences.
 
Q. Who do you admire, and why?
A. I admire my husband because he is a great father. In my line of work I see many men that don't step up. My husband has always been involved with our children. I admire my mother because she has always been there for me.
 
Q. Finish this sentence. On Sunday mornings, you can usually find me...
A. In Church finding peace and strength for the coming week.
 
Q. What do you think are the best skills that you bring to your job?
A. Delegating work out to staff when needed. It is important to match assignments with people to bring out their best.
 
Q. Name three words that describe you.
A. Hard worker, Dedicated, Punctual.
 
Q. What are you happiest doing when you're not working?
A. It makes me happy when I'm working in my garden. I get satisfaction from creating beautiful spaces, like expanding my flower bed.
 
Q. What is your personal motto?
A. Never quit. There are always situations that you may have to walk away from but it shouldn't be the first option.
 
Q. What are some causes you care about?
A. I have been active in the effort to bring the FOC to the public.
 
Q. What is an enjoyable part of your job?
A. Making sure the litigants are treated with respect. It's important that we recognize the process is confusing and can be long.
 
Q. What are some career highlights?
A. Working at Boulevard Temple Nursing Home as a staff coordinator.
 
Q. What is your dream job?
A. Being a movie star.
 
Q. What college/university did you go to?
A. I attended Davenport University. I graduated in 2002, Business Administration.
 
  

THIRD CIRCUIT COURT'S MENTAL HEALTH COURT CO-HOSTS
7th ANNUAL COMMUNITY 
HEALTH FAIR
 
On July 16, Third Circuit Court's Mental Health Court, along with community partners Central City Integrated Health, Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority and Wayne County Department of Health, Veterans and Community Wellness hosted its 7th Annual Community Health Fair at the Historic Detroit Eastern Market.
 
Third Circuit Court's Mental Health Court Program has been operating for ten years, and is committed to improved public safety, and increasing its participant's engagement in treatment and services. In addition to Third Circuit Court outreach tables, this year's Fair had 85 vendors who provided valuable information to nearly 300 attendees regarding their programs and services. Vendors also provided free health services and screenings, housing support services, and employment resources. The Fair was an educational and interactive event. It served as a great opportunity for the entire community to not only learn about services in the community that benefit both themselves and their family members, but to also participate in wellness activities and medical screenings.
 
Music, vendors, demonstrations and interactive activities took place throughout the day, and Beasley Media Group, INC 105.1, The Bounce was also on site.
 
 
Chief Judge Timothy M. Kenny (center), who provided a welcome message to the attendees, is joined here by Court Staff and Community Partners
 
 
Attendees visit vendors at the 7th Annual Community Health Fair
 
 
(Left to Right) Kristina Morgan, MHC Coordinator, MHC Judge Mariam Bazzi, and Norris Howard from CCIH are all smiles at 
the Fair.
 

  




 
On Friday, August 2, 2019, the Juvenile Section of the Family Division of 3rd Circuit Court conducted a summertime celebration and a ceremony honoring its best. The Juvenile Section had its Ice Cream Social and Shining Star Awards ceremony. The Ice Cream Social was an opportunity to provide the dairy delights to the hardworking Juvenile Court team to let them know that they are appreciated by the Court. We also took the opportunity to present the Shining Star Awards. The Shining Star Awards are presented to those members of the Juvenile family that have been acknowledged by our customers that we serve every day. For those that receive the most ballots each month, receive a certificate of appreciation and a $25 gift card, courtesy of the Third Circuit Court. The celebration was punctuated by the presence of Chief Judge Timothy Kenney.





The Friend of the Court has partnered with Team Wellness Center to bring child support services to its members and the general public. Team Wellness is a local organization dedicated to improving the well-being of individuals by providing comprehensive, wraparound services focused on the person as a whole. They deliver a wide range of mental, physical, and support services. These services assist in breaking down barriers to employment, which in turn helps the non-custodial parent to pay their court ordered child support.
The regular outreach began in January and occurs the fourth Thursday of every month at the East Center location at 6309 Mack Avenue in Detroit. Individuals will meet one-on-one with a FOC staff member who will be able to remotely access their case information in the Michigan Child Support Enforcement System and provide case details. The monthly date was coordinated with when the Legal Aid and Defender Association (LADA) is scheduled at Team Wellness Center to offer free legal services. Customers will get their child support questions answered and the motion forms they need, and then meet with a LADA attorney to answer their legal questions and assist in completing their motion packets.   It's a win-win for everyone!


Yellow Stripes




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Greetings, 

Remember going back to school and having to do the "What I did over the summer" essay?
 
Summer at the Third Circuit consisted of summer internships, community outreach, and specialty court graduations. We are especially proud that we expanded our internship and partnered with The Eastern District of Michigan United States District Court.
 
As we highlight some of the summer activities in this newsletter, we acknowledge Third Circuit Court judges, staff and community partners that support the many facets of delivering quality public service.
 
Thank you, Third Circuit Court judges and staff.
 
Thank you, law schools, community colleges and universities; bar associations; municipal and government councils and departments; the libraries; and the companies, social service agencies, and non-profit organizations for sharing your resources.
 
Our summer was productive and fun. We had opportunities to share what we do with our community at festivals, fairs, and on a traveling motor coach. We acknowledged the hard work of specialty court participants to overcome addictions and challenges. We celebrated and honored their journey to recovery with their families. Our interns helped prepare various programs. Our partners provided venues and swags. Our elected officials showed up to support our graduates, our mission, and our purpose. Third Circuit Court did a lot over the summer, and we look forward to the many summers ahead.




Judge Cylenthia LaToye Miller was appointed to the Third Judicial Circuit Court on July 22, 2019 and is assigned to the Juvenile Division.  She began her new position on August 19, 2019.   
 
Prior to being appointed to the circuit court, Judge Miller served on the 36th Judicial District Court from April 10, 2006 through August 18, 2019.   Judge Miller was the Founding & Presiding Judge over Street Outreach Court Detroit, which assists Detroit's homeless population with clearing their driver's licenses and returning to self-sufficiency.  You can learn more about Street Outreach Court Detroit through its website www.streetdemocracy.org/socd.  She is honored and humbled to serve on the largest circuit court in the state of Michigan and one of the busiest circuit courts in the country. 
 
Judge Miller is an Adjunct Professor at Baker College of Allen Park and Baker College of Jackson.  She has worked in the Criminal Justice Department since 2012 and in the Humanities Department since 2016.  She loves teaching because she always learns from her students and enjoys sharing the learning experience.  
 
She received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Michigan State University College of Law in 1996.  Judge Miller was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 1996 and to the State Bar of Arkansas in 1997.
Judge Miller received a gubernatorial appointment to the Michigan Inter-Agency Council on Homelessness in 2018 and will serve as a Council member until 2022.  She was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Michigan District Judges Association, where she served as the Chairperson of the Communications Committee and the Representative to the State Bar of Michigan Limited Scope Representation Work Group (Chairperson of the Education Sub-Work Group).  She is a Past President of the Association of Black Judges of Michigan; Past Chair of the Women Lawyers Division of the National Bar Association; Past President of the Wolverine Bar Association; and Past President of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan.  She is a member of St. Charles Lwanga Catholic Church; the Wolverine Bar Association; the Association of Black Judges of Michigan; the State Bar of Michigan; the Black Women Lawyers Association of Michigan; the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan; the Detroit Bar Association; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; the Oakland County Bar Association; and the Michigan Democratic Party.
 
Throughout her career, Judge Miller has received numerous awards and honors.  She is also a published co-author of articles regarding employment issues.


Judge Helal A. Farhat was appointed to the Third Circuit Court in March of 2019. Prior to his appointment, he served as a Magistrate in the 19th District Court from 2009 to 2012 and then appointed again from 2016 until his judicial appointment in 2019. Judge Farhat was in private practice for 17 years and served as the principal attorney at Farhat & Associates, PLLC, where he handled family, civil, criminal, and commercial litigation and commercial transactions. Judge Farhat graduated from Wayne State University where he obtained both his Undergraduate and Juris Doctor Degrees.
 
Judge Farhat was and continues to be involved in many organizations that promote education and healthy living, and provides assistance to the underserved. He has also served as President of the Dearborn Bar Association. Judge Farhat is married to Sahar Farhat and has three daughters, Layal (14), Sarina (12) and Noor (11).


 
On March 28, 2019, Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed Noah P. Hood to the Wayne County Circuit Court.  On May 6, 2019, Judge Hood took his oath of office and now serves as a judge in the Criminal Division.
 
For the previous five years, Judge Hood worked as an Assistant United States Attorney. Most recently, Judge Hood was assigned to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan's Health Care Fraud Unit, where he prosecuted fraud and opioid-related offenses involving medical professionals. Previously, as an AUSA in the Northern District of Ohio, he focused on prosecuting fraud, money laundering, public corruption, and so-called white collar crime.  In May 2018, he received the U.S. Treasury Department, FinCEN Director's Law Enforcement Award for effective use of Bank Secrecy Act data in safeguarding the financial system.  In December 2018, he received a certificate of appreciation from the United States Secret Service Director for his superior contribution to the Service's law enforcement mission. He has also been recognized by the Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Customs and Border Protection for his law enforcement contributions.
 
Prior to his federal service, Judge Hood was a litigation associate at Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone. During that time, Michigan Community Legal Resources recognized him for his pro bono work on nuisance abatement in Detroit.  
 
He is a proud alumnus of Cass Technical High School, Yale College, and Harvard Law School.
 
He is active with the Diaconate Board at Plymouth United Church of Christ, the Yale Club of Michigan, and InsideOut Literary Arts, a nonprofit providing poetry programing to public schools in Detroit.
 
Judge Hood and his fiancée, Meheret Kassa, live in Detroit.



CASA Summer Swearing-In

On June 25th, the 43rd CASA Swearing-In was held at Lincoln Hall of Justice. Five candidates who successfully completed the curriculum were sworn in by the Honorable Judge Edward J. Joseph.
Chief Judge Timothy M. Kenny touched the hearts of many when he told the story of his adopted grandchildren who had been in the foster care system in Georgia. Also special recognition was given to Judge Karen Braxton for her outstanding appreciation of the CASA volunteers.
 
Congratulations to Margaret Carden, Marcie Cicciarelli, William Hobson, Lynn Lakota, and Audra Swint.
 
CASA Mission statement:
"The Wayne County CASA program will advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children, court proceedings, by providing trained community volunteers."







Hon. Kirsten Frank Kelley being honored by the ACRL and NAACP. Pictured on the left with Michael Steinberg of the ACLU and Hon. Kathleen M. McCarthy - Presiding Judge of Family Division.





Join us in honoring Hon. Denise Page Hood, Chief United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, at the 15th Annual Dennis W. Archer Public Service Award Gala.

 
November 14, 2019 
Detroit Yacht Club 
6:00 - 9:00 pm
 
Archer Award winners all have one thing in common - each is an attorney or jurist who exemplifies the ideal of the law as public service. Proceeds will fund free legal clinics and community outreach programs.
Get your name out to over 26,000+ lawyers in metropolitan Detroit. 400+ attendees will be gathering for an evening of networking, excellent food and celebrating with Judge Hood. 
For information, please contact 
Darlene Trudell at dtrudell@detroitlawyer.org or 313-961-6120, ext. 201.
 

Strategic Plan Team Highlight
Clinic for Child Study Operational/Funding Plan Team
 
 
The Clinic for Child Study Operational/Funding Plan Team is comprised of Michelle Milligan, Co-Team Leader (not pictured); Toby Horner, Co-Team Leader; Judge Edward Joseph, Judge Sponsor; Lyn Roberts; Glenn Momeyer; Kevin Martin; Chief Referee James Catchings (not pictured). In addition to the members listed above, the Clinic Executive Team has been working on this strategic plan goal. This team includes many members already listed plus Chief Judge Timothy Kenny; ECA Zenell Brown; DCA Richard Smart; Benita Cheatom; and Rich Lynch.
 
The goals of the Clinic for Child Study Operation/Funding Plan Team are to:
  1. Assess operational efficiency of Clinic operations and implement improvement plans to establish best practices service delivery to Court consumers that are cost efficient and maximize the limited funding streams available in the behavioral health services environment.
  2. Identify services that are unique to the Court Clinic that provide favorable outcomes and justify costs incurred.
  3. Explore the viability of expanding the population of consumers currently served by the Clinic.  This includes identifying any new funding streams that may be applicable in that regard.
  4. Collaborate with ECA and Chief Judge (with support from stakeholders) to procure new or improve current Clinic facilities.
    The Clinic has participated in two independent assessments that have provided tools to increase efficiencies and to assess the Juvenile Justice System in Wayne County. Clinic management has implemented many of the suggestions offered in the first assessment that have resulted in increased productivity, more face-to-face time with Court consumers and increased billing for services. The second assessment has led to the creation of a collaborative committee that includes Wayne County, Wayne State University, and other community partners with a vision to reinvent the Juvenile Justice System in Wayne County.
     
    The Team has also been able to secure funding from the Clinic's primary funder Detroit-Wayne Mental Health Authority for FY 19-20.
     
    The Team is still exploring additional populations that the Clinic could provide services within the Court, as well as within the community. Other funding sources are also still being explored.


 
The Wolverine Bar Association is the successor of the Harlan Law Club which was founded in 1919 and named after U. S. Supreme Court Justice Harlan. Justice John M. Harlan was committed to the goal of equality of treatment under the law for all in our society as exemplified in the dissenting opinion of the 1896 U.S. Supreme Court Case of Plessy v. Ferguson which upheld the constitutionality of separate but equal practices.
 
The Wolverine Bar Association is known for the Barristers' Ball, its annual fundraiser and for many pipeline programs to expose minority youth and law students to careers in law.
The Wolverine Bar Association currently has approximately 250 financial members; Third Circuit Court Judge Craig Strong previously served as President of the Association; and, Attorney Terence Reeves was sworn in as the President for 2019-20 year at the Annual Dinner for The 2019 Presidents' Dinner with the Wolverine Bar, the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association, and the Association of Black Judges of Michigan.
 
Congratulations on 100 years of promoting equality under the law!



Judge Craig Strong (3rd Circuit Court) and Judge Denise Langford Morris (6th Circuit Court) at the 2019 Presidents' Bar



City Of Detroit's Annual Senior Citizens Summit

 
Seniors gathering information from the various vendors.
 

Court team picture with Mayor Michael Duggan at the 
City of Detroit Senior Summit.

On Thursday, July 25, Third Circuit Court participated in the Annual Senior Citizens Informational Summit sponsored by City of Detroit Council President, Brenda Jones. There were over 50 vendors present providing seniors will all sorts of information; from healthcare services to social engagement.
 
The Court was honored to participate in the Summit again this year. Representatives from Jury Services offered information on what to look for in jury summons and jury scams; Friend of the Court provided informational packets with free legal assistance workshops; the Self Help Department provided integral contact information for legal assistance within the Court; Specialty Court Services--Criminal Division, handed out program brochures to educate the public about the programs within the judicial system available to eligible defendants; and the Historical Committee provided informational bookmarks featuring Judge Lucile Watts, who was recently selected to be inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.
 
There was food, live music, and dancing. Seniors were getting their "hustle on." The Detroit River served as the perfect backdrop for this event.
 
A huge thank you to Executive Court Administrator, Zenell Brown for donating gift cards from the Court as give-a-ways for the seniors.