The Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan is the largest circuit court in the state, with 61 judges and three operating divisions as of 2023. The Third Circuit Court has jurisdiction over civil, criminal, and family matters arising in Wayne County. The National Center for State Courts has cited the Third Circuit Court as one of the model urban courts in the United States for case flow management and the timely disposition of the Court's docket.
The Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan has 3 divisions, with the Family Division having three subsections.
Civil maters are claims that involve more than $25,000.00 it also handles appeals from civil matters appealed from Wayne County district courts and administrative agencies.
| Patricia P. Fresard | 1999 | 2029 | 24 | ||
| Leslie Kim Smith | 2018 | 2025 | |||
| David J. Allen | 2003 | 2027 | 19 | ||
| Annette J. Berry | 2018 | 2025 | |||
| Charlene M. Elder | 2006 | 2027 | |||
| Edward Ewell, Jr. | 2018 | 2025 | |||
| Sheila Ann Gibson | 1999 | 2029 | 24 | ||
| John H. Gillis, Jr. | 1997 | 2027 | |||
| Adel A. Harb | 2015 | 2025 | |||
| Dana M. Hathaway | 2013 | 2025 | |||
| Charles S. Hegarty | 2013 | ||||
| Catherine L. Heise | |||||
| Susan L. Hubbard | 2011 | 2029 | 12 | ||
| Muriel D. Hughes | 2006 | 2029 | |||
| Edward J. Joseph | 2014 | 2027 | |||
| Qiana Denise Lillard | 2013 | ||||
| Kathleen M. McCarthy | |||||
| Martha M. Snow | 2015 | 2029 | 8 | ||
| Brian R. Sullivan | 1999 | 2029 |
| Judge | Term Start | Term End | Age | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald L. Knapp | ||||
| Charise Anderson | ||||
| Chandra W. Baker-Robinson | ||||
| Mariam Bazzi | ||||
| Gregory Dean Bill | ||||
| Christopher Blount | ||||
| Bradley L. Cobb | ||||
| Kevin J. Cox | ||||
| Kiefer Cox | ||||
| Paul J. Cusick | ||||
| Prentis Edwards, Jr. | ||||
| Wanda A. Evans | ||||
| John C Gillis | ||||
| Tracy E. Green | ||||
| Bridget Mary Hathaway | ||||
| Nicholas J. Hathaway | ||||
| Anne M. McCarthy | ||||
| Kelly A. Ramsey | ||||
| Mark T. Slavens | ||||
| Deborah A. Thomas | ||||
| Regina D. Thomas | ||||
| Margaret M. Van Houten | ||||
| Shannon N. Walker | ||||
| Darnella D. Williams-Claybourne |
| Chief Judges | Term | |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph A. Sullivan | January 1967 - January 1975 | |
| James N. Canham | January 1975 - December 1977 | |
| Richard Dunn | January 1978 - December 1985 | |
| Joseph B. Sullivan | January 1986 - March 1986 | |
| W. Leo Cahalan | March 1986 - March 1986 | |
| Richard Kaufman | March 1986 - December 1993 | |
| James Rashid | January 1994 - September 1997 | |
| Michael Sapala | October 1997 - December 2001 | |
| Timothy Kenny (Co-Chief Judge) | January 2002 - December 2003 | |
| Mary Beth Kelly | January 2002 - December 2007 | |
| William Giovan | January 2008 - December 2008 | |
| Virgil C. Smith | January 2009 - December 2013 | |
| Robert J. Colombo | January 2014 - Present |