By John Minnis
Legal News
Nineteen incumbents ran for re-election to the Wayne County Circuit Court and 19 incumbents won.
While that is not unusual in county judicial elections, it was not a given because there was a lone challenger, Wanda Evans.
Evans, a practicing attorney in Detroit with 15 years of trial experience, lost by 2,401 votes, less than two percent, to Third Circuit Chief Judge Pro Tem Lita M. Popke.
Evans earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Michigan University in 1984, a master’s of social work from Wayne State University in 1987 and a Juris Doctor from University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
Prior to becoming an attorney, she was a foster care worker, a Wayne County probation officer and a private therapist.
Popke has been a member of the Family Division of the Wayne County Circuit Court in Detroit for over 10 years.
From January 2005 through December 2007, she served as the presiding judge of the division and has been the Third Circuit’s chief judge pro tem since 2009.
Popke has also been a member of the court’s executive committee since 2005.
Cynthia Hathaway, with 172,644 votes, was the top vote-getter out of the 19 Third Circuit incumbents running for re-election, followed by Sheila Gibson Manning (164,315), Margie Braxton (159,697), Patricia Fresard (158,974) and Brian Sullivan (155,925), among the top five.
In the only other Third Circuit race with a challenge, Susan Hubbard won the one vacant seat with 173,114 votes to fellow Dearborn attorney John Sullivan’s 152,117.
Hubbard is an attorney with over 17 years of trial experience.
She served as Wayne County commissioner from Dearborn for over 15 years. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Wayne State University and her J.D. from Detroit College of Law.
Sullivan has been a solo practitioner since 1998.
Prior to that he spent three years with Berger, Miller & Strager P.C. He also served as a UAW Legal Services attorney. He earned his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Michigan.
The open Third Circuit seat was vacated by the retirement of Circuit Judge Isidore Torres.
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