Judge John A. Hohman, Jr., a 16-year veteran of the Monroe County Probate and Family Court, has been named State Court Administrator. He will head the State Court Administrative Office, the administrative agency of the Michigan Supreme Court.
He succeeds State Court Administrator Chad C. Schmucker, who had been the administrator since 2011. Schmucker is stepping down to become president of the National Judicial College (NJC) in Reno, Nevada. Schmucker is the second Michigan State Court Administrator to be tapped for the NJC’s top post. Hon. V. Robert Payant served as a district, circuit, and probate judge in the Upper Peninsula before serving as State Court Administrator from 1985-1988, and then served as NJC president from 1990-1998
Chief Justice Robert P. Young. Jr., said, “Judge Hohman brings to his new position his experience as a probate and family division judge in Monroe County, and his extensive contributions to best practices in court administration. His leadership positions include serving as president of the Michigan Judges Probate Association and as chair of the State Bar’s Judicial Council. He has been deeply involved in plans for improving our justice system, including the State Bar’s Judicial Crossroads Task Force.”
Hohman said he is looking forward to the challenges of his new position. “I am grateful and honored to have been selected by the Supreme Court to be part of the SCAO team,” Hohman said. “The people of this organization are truly dedicated in their efforts to improve the administration of justice in Michigan.”
Hohman added, “Over the last three years, the Michigan judiciary has made significant strides in court reform, including greater efficiency, performance measurement, and technology. As State Court Administrator, I will work to build on those achievements, and to make SCAO a partner in our trial courts’ successes.”
Hohman, who has been a judge since 1997, is noted for his work in juvenile justice and child welfare. Soon after taking the bench, he and Monroe Probate Judge Pamela A. Moskwa, now retired, co-founded Monroe County’s Court Appointed Special Advocates program to improve representation for children in abuse and neglect cases. His efforts included a redesign of Monroe County’s juvenile programs and family court, and the creation of a juvenile drug court. He helped found “Project Second Chance,” in which young offenders train and care for dogs from the Monroe Humane Society; the program teaches juveniles empathy and responsibility, while bettering dogs’ chances for adoption.
Hohman has served as a faculty member of the Michigan Judicial Institute, is an editorial advisory committee member for a number of journals and periodicals, and has authored articles on juvenile and family court practice. In 2013, he was named “Michigan Jurist of the Year” by the Michigan Foster Care Review Board; he was chosen “Michigan Judge of the Year” in 2008 by the Michigan Association of Court Appointed Special Advocates.
Hohman earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Central Michigan University; he earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School. He was in the private practice of law for 16 years before becoming a judge, including eight years as a partner in the law firm of Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer and Weiss.
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