New Court Seat Draws A Big Crowd ALAN HITSKY ASSOCIATE EDITOR W hen the state Legisla- ture finally approved an additional circuit court judgeship for Oakland County, it didn't give potential candidates much time to file for the seat. They had about 36 hours. A 17th seat on one of the state's busiest judicial circuits had long been endorsed by the county's Board of Commissioners, and its approval in the Legislature was a foregone conclusion. Once a log- jam over an unrelated issue — part-time probate court judges — was broken, the governor signed the legislation May 26 and can- didates had until 5 p.m. May 27 to file. Thirteen Oakland County res- idents did, and will face off Aug. 2 in the primary election. The top two vote-getters will vie for the $102,986 job in the general elec- tion Nov. 8. Some familiar names are among the candidates, and that has Alice Gilbert worried. A familiar name herself after 15 years on the Oakland Circuit Court and a raucous Republican primary race for U.S. Congress two years ago, Ms. Gilbert wants to regain her judgeship. She wor- ries about candidates Thomas Brennan and John J. O'Brien. "Tom Bren- nan is not the real (Michigan Supreme Court Justice) Tom Brennan," said Ms. Gilbert. "And O'Brien had to resign his probate judgeship" after a felony convic- tion for falsifying a credit appli- cation. He is not Judge John N. O'Brien, who died last year after a long career on the Oakland Cir- cuit Court. The candidates were asked to submit a brief listing of their qualifications and a one-sentence statement why voters should pick them over the other candidates. Those who responded include the following: Thomas Brennan of Troy is a 48-year-old trial attorney with offices in Detroit. He is past pres- ident of the National Lawyers Guild and the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association. He says he is respected in the legal commu- nity "for my integrity, compas- sion, intelligence, legal skills and industriousness." Michael Clawson of Birm- ingham is a junior partner in a Birmingham law firm and a graduate of Albion College and the University of Toledo. He was PO a circuit court clerk in Cassopo- lis in 1983-84. Constance Cumbey of Lake Orion has law offices in Bloom- field Hills. She has been involved in right-to-life cases as well as representing a Detroit neighbor- hood in its fight against having the predominantly black Malcolm X Academy in its area. She has been host of a Christian-oriented talk show on WMUZ since 1992. She has written and lectured ex- tensively against the "New Age" movement as being anti-Jewish and anti-Christian. She served as a secretary to Jack Faxon when he was in the state House and Senate. Ms. Cumbey has practiced law since 1975, "with a heavy em- phasis on litigation." She says she does not believe in 'the finest jus- tice that money can buy," but in `justice that cannot be bought." Sylvia Delin has a general law practice in Southfield, with emphasis on family law. She is a graduate of Loyola University Law School. She says there is a simple tenet of law to which she adheres: "The facts, the issues and the law, exclusive of person- ality, wealth, judicial friendships and biases." Robert Easterly is a gradu- ate of Universi- ty of Detroit Law School and has a prac- tice in Troy. He wants to incor- porate the best traits of judges he has observed, including Barry HoWard ("style and fair-handed, down-to-earth approach"), Ed Sosnick ("hu- manistic touch and wisdom") and Rudy Nichols ("dignified style"). Alice Gilbert was a Bloom- field Township justice (1961-68), 48th District judge (1968-76) and Oakland County Circuit Court judge (1976-92). She says her tenure on the court gives her unmatched expe- rience, and she also points to her "long history of volunteer experi- ence" as bringing "a sense of per- spective to the bench." Paul Hynes is a partner in a firm with offices in Troy, Detroit, Grand Rapids and Flint. He is a trial lawyer specializing in per- sonal injury and property-dam- age litigation. He has handled appeals before the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. He says he has "demonstrated the mental discipline and matu- rity necessary to serve the people COURT SEAT page 20 OFF p r i c e s Pe . -::•••• • •::::::••• -111- C:71 1-111 I 11-. II— Pt E. ONLY This Thursday, r i (A ay, Sc. Sat IA rd ay Jun e 23rd, 24th, aeC 2St h a 0 rri to 6 : 0 0 r, rri IF-ARMIN 30854 Orchard Lk. Rd. at 14 Mi Ph: 626-4314 COME IN AND SEE THE NEW AURORA! 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