By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
Even as a third-grader, Bill McConico had a to-do list.
Back then, it was the brainchild of his older sister, Kimberly, who did her best to keep her brother focused on his daily household chores and school responsibilities.
Now, as the chief judge of the 36th District Court in Detroit, McConico is the maker of his own list on how to constantly improve the operation of the busiest court in Michigan and strengthen connection to the urban community.
McConico has developed a series of outreach programs to better inform Detroit residents of the specialty services that the court offers and how those translate into bettering lives throughout the community.
“As a state legislator for three terms, I was accustomed to meeting with my constituents on a regular basis to listen to their concerns and to respond in a positive way with action that hopefully made their lives better,” said McConico, who was first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2000 at the age of 27. “When I became chief judge in January 2020, just months before the pandemic, I wanted to do my best to bring the court to the people so that they would be aware of the services and programs we have in place. We are, after all, truly a ‘People’s Court.’”
Recently, McConico held two neighborhood block meetings in Detroit to tell residents about “our specialty courts, including the Landlord-Tenant Division, and the recent bail reform program we implemented” that he hopes will become a model approach for the state and the nation.
“We view this as an opportunity to create a fairer system,” McConico said in a prepared statement earlier this month about the bail reform measures. “Individuals were being jailed while awaiting a 36th District Court hearing on routine traffic offenses because they couldn’t post bail. So, they were being punished without being found guilty.
“Too many individuals are jailed while awaiting a hearing simply because they can’t afford to make bail, and that’s not what should guide those outcomes,” he said of the settlement agreement that arose from a suit filed against the court several years ago by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). “This agreement instead allows bail decisions to be based on a case-by-case basis, judicial discretion, and whether the individuals pose a flight risk or are a danger to the public.”
McConico, whose parents migrated to Detroit from the Jim Crow south following World War II, also is piloting plans for a court-led mentorship program in select city schools, while he already has implemented an internship program for college and law students interested in pursuing legal careers.
“It’s been so rewarding to see the response to these programs, and how the changes have been embraced by our judges and court staff members,” McConico said. “It’s been a total team effort and I’m encouraged to see the willingness of my colleagues to be involved in these outreach efforts.”
McConico earned his juris doctor from Case Western Reserve University. Earlier this year, he was inducted into the law school’s Hall of Fame.
McConico previously served as chief of staff/city attorney for Highland Park, and as city prosecutor for Hamtramck. He currently is an adjunct professor at Wayne County Community College District in both the criminal justice and paralegal studies departments.
While in the legislature, McConico served as vice chair of both the Energy and Technology and Criminal Justice committees. His “greatest points of pride” during his time as a state rep were in “leading the Democratic effort to stop laws enacting the death penalty in Michigan, and the passage of a bill eliminating mandatory minimums in drug sentencing.”
Four years after his legislative service was brought to an end by term limits, McConico was appointed to the 36th District bench in 2010 by then Governor Jennifer Granholm. He was elected to a full 6-year term in 2012 and re-elected in 2018. In 2019, he received the Catalyst Award from Equality Michigan for his efforts in fighting for the civil rights of marginalized people.
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