What's in a name? Maybe a seat on a Detroit-area court
DETROIT (AP) — A man seeking to become a judge could get a boost on Election Day after changing his last name to one that has long been associated with Detroit-area courts.
Nicholas John Bobak legally changed his name last year to Nicholas John Bobak Hathaway, the Detroit Free Press reported. He has been married for nearly 20 years to Dana Hathaway, who has been a judge since 2013.
By blood or by marriage, at least 10 members of the Hathaway family have served as Wayne County judges over the last two decades, the newspaper said.
Dana Hathaway lost an election for Oakland County judge in 2010 but won two years later in Wayne County.
"I changed my name to honor my wife," Nicholas Hathaway said. "If I had a nickel for every time an attorney asked me, 'Are you going to change your name and run for judge?' I wouldn't need a job.
"This is a decision we made within the bounds of our family and our marriage," he said, declining further comment.
Mario Morrow, who has managed local campaigns, said the Hathaway name is "golden" in judicial races.
"The voters don't know one Hathaway from the other," he said.
Hathaway is among four candidates running for two seats on the court. They include someone with another well-known name: Mary Beth Kelly, a former Wayne County judge and former Michigan Supreme Court justice, is seeking to return to the local bench.
In 2013, Hathaway's mother-in-law, Diane Hathaway, resigned from the Supreme Court and pleaded guilty to bank fraud related to a real estate deal.
State Bar Sections present joint annual program online, October 17
The Joint Annual Program of the Criminal Law, Immigration Law and Prisons & Corrections Sections of the State Bar of Michigan will take place live via Zoom on Saturday, October 17.
The following is the program’s agenda:
9:15 to 9:50 a.m.—Annual Business Meeting of the Prisons & Corrections Section (section members only)
9 to 10:00 a.m.—Check in for joint program
10 to 10:20 a.m.—Welcome Remarks & Keynote with Michigan Supreme Court Justice Stephen J. Markman
10:20 to 11:20 a.m.—Conference Session: Forensic Science and Wrongful Convictions with Kahla Crino and Imran Syed
11:20 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. Conference Session: Parole, Reentry, and the Journey Home with Jose Burgos and Marilena David-Martin
12:10 to 12:15 p.m.—Break
12:15 to 1:15 p.m.—Conference Session: Immigration Consequences of a Criminal Charge with Russ Abrutyn and Abril Valdes Siewert
1:15 to 2:00 p.m.—Conference Session: Post-Conviction Relief for Non-Citizens with Eddie Bajoka and Bradley Maze
To register for this free event, visit https://connect.michbar.org/prisons/home and click on “events.” After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
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