Connectivity: Court's chief judge touts value of outreach efforts

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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 to strengthen its connection to the urban community.

Toward those twin goals, 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.’”

Last month, for instance, 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.”

A lifelong Detroit resident, McConico graduated from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Morehouse College (see related story), before earning his juris doctor from Case Western Reserve University. Earlier this year, McConico was inducted into the law school’s Hall of Fame, the Society of Benchers, adding even more luster to his rising judicial profile.

Married and the father of three children, McConico previously served as chief of staff/city attorney for Highland Park, and as the 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. His wife, Jennifer, a University of Michigan alumna, is the chief development director at WCCCD.

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, McConico received the Catalyst Award from Equality Michigan for his efforts in fighting for the civil rights of marginalized people.

“I had wonderful role models in my parents (John and Louise),” said McConico. “My dad was a construction worker and a World War II vet who grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and used the G.I. Bill to build a better life for himself and our family. My mom was from Terry, Mississippi, and was a homemaker, raising three children and impressing upon us the importance of getting a good education. In everything I do, I try to keep in mind the lessons I learned from them and how to treat people with the kindness and respect that they deserve.”

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College tennis setback failed to deter a budding court star

By Tom Kirvan
Legal News

As a youth growing up on the east side of Detroit, Bill McConico had dreams of attending Morehouse College, the all-male private school in Atlanta that traditionally ranks among the premier Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the country.

It is the college that has produced the likes of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, filmmaker Spike Lee, and Olympic gold medalist Edwin Moses.

As a 1991 graduate of the University of Detroit Jesuit High School, where he was a star tennis player, McConico even had the dream of earning a full-ride tennis scholarship to Morehouse.

“The only hitch was that Morehouse only had  one remaining tennis scholarship,” noted McConico, who was one of three possible recipients, including a friend of his from Detroit. “As a result, the winner of that scholarship would have to prove it on the court in (round-robin) matches against the others.”

The two Detroit players proved no match for the eventual champ, however, each losing decisively in the winner-take-all competition.

“It wasn't an easy pill to swallow and it was a long ride back to Detroit for the two of us,” said McConico, who still had his heart set on attending Morehouse even with tennis scholarship offers to attend other colleges.

While disappointed, McConico said he was unfazed by the tennis setback, deciding that “I’m going to make the team as a walk-on.”

Which he did, playing for the Maroon Tigers, a Division II program that competes in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

As a freshman at Morehouse, McConico enjoyed a particularly stellar season on the tennis courts, earning all-conference honors for his play in singles and doubles action.

“It was a life lesson for me,” said McConico of his decision to try out for the Morehouse tennis team as a freshman. “I decided it could go one of two ways – I could quit and give up on playing tennis in college or I could persevere and try harder in an effort to make the team. The choice was clear for me.”

And it is one that the now chief judge of the 36th District Court and his wife, Jennifer, have tried to impart upon their three children, 24-year-old Kendall, 16-year-old William II, and 14-year-old Ava.

With success.

Kendall, who earned her high school diploma from University Liggett, received a bachelor’s degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, where she was a four-year starter on its basketball team after earning all-state honors at Liggett.

She now works for the Wayne County Clerk’s office in its expungement program while also writing for The Michigan Chronicle and BLAC magazine in Detroit.

Her brother, William II, will be a junior at U of D Jesuit this fall and sports a 3.90 GPA. He is a member of the cross country and track teams at Jesuit, and also is displaying an early interest in pursuing a legal career by competing on the mock trial team at the school.

“He likes to accompany me to court as often as he can,” the chief judge said of his son. “He’s showing a real interest in the law as a career.”

The family’s youngest, Ava, may take a different career path, according to her father.

“She will be a freshman at Renaissance this year and has been invited to be part of the school orchestra,” McConico said. “She plays the violin and the cello, and carries a 4.0 GPA. Let’s just say that I never had grades like that.”

 

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