THE BEST COURT RECORD.
Judges Andrews, Schnelz, Mester, Howard and Nichols are part of the most effective
Circuit Court team in our State's history, resolving more than 200,000 cases since 1990
with hard work, experience and common sense. Mark all five of their names on the
judicial ballot and help keep the best players on the bench.
THE DETR OIT JE WISH N EW S
Judge Steven N. Andrews
04
Circuit Court Judge for 20
years; 3 terms as Chief Judge
• Served as One Man Grand
Juror and Presiding Judge for
Citizens' Grand Jury
• Rated "Outstanding and
Preferred" by bar associations;
named one of the Most
Respected Judges of Michigan
by Lawyers Weekly poll; named
in Oxford's Who's Who
Among American Judges
• Honorary Juris Doctorate
from New England Law School
• Lecturer at Detroit College
of Law, State Bar of Michigan,
Oakland County Bar
Association
•Adrian College Board of
Trustees, Providence Hospital
Advisory Board, Michigan
Judges Association Board of
Directors, Oakland County
Library Board of Trustees
• Graduate, National College
of State Judiciary, University of
Nevada; graduate studies at
American Academy of the
Judiciary at Harvard and
Stanford Universities
• Married 37 years; 3 children;
4 grandchildren
Judge Gene Schnelz
•Attorney, 39 years; Judge,
22 years
• Bar Association's highest
rating: "Outstanding"; rated
"Most Respected" by
statewide poll of attorneys
• Highest awards from State
Bar of Michigan and Oakland
County Bar Association;
numerous judicial and bar
association awards
• Chairperson of many state
task forces and committees,
including domestic relations
and energy conservation
•Associate professor,
Madonna University
• Instructor for: National
Judicial College; Michigan
Judicial Institute; Institute of
Continuing Legal Education
• Honored by the Michigan
Legislature for public service
• Civil rights awards, including
NAACP and Jewish
Association for Children
•Various county, community
and school awards
• Married for over 40 years
with 3 children and 6
adorable grandchildren
Judge Fred M. Mester
Attorney, 29 years; Judge,
14 years
• Oakland County Bar
Association's highest rating:
"Outstanding and Preferred"
• Chief of Civil Division, U.S.
Attorney's Office
• Court Administrator, Judicial
Assistant
•Veteran Captain, U.S.Army
• Recipient: Earl W. Kinter
Award from Federal Bar
Association; Michigan
Correction Association
Judicial Award; Central
Michigan University's
Centennial Award; Honorary
Doctor of Laws from Central
Michigan University
•Associate Professor:
Oakland University, Madonna
University
•Trial Advocacy Judge
• Lecturer: federal, state and
local bar association semi-
nars; colleges, high schools on
law and order, alcoholism and
responsibility
• Graduate of National
Judicial College
• Married 36 years,
3 children, 3 dogs
Judge Barry L Howard
Judge Rudy J. Nichols
Attorney for 22 years, Judge
for last 7 years, currently Chief
Judge Pro Tempore of Oakland
County Circuit Court
• Former General Counsel to
Police Officers Association of
Michigan; former Special
Assistant Attorney General
•Trustee of Western Michigan
University Board of Trustees
from 1985 to 1989
• Officer of Michigan Judges
Association; faculty member of
Michigan Judicial Institute
• Selected as "one of the top
five most respected judges" in
the state by a WDIV-Channel 4
Lawyers' survey conducted
in 1995
• Rated "outstanding" and "pre-
ferred" by the Oakland County
Bar Association and the South
Oakland County Bar
Association
• Graduate of University of
Michigan and University of
Detroit School of Law
• Married to Cindy Howard;
father to three sons: Brian, age
20; David, age 18; and Chad,
age 16
• Member, Congregation
Shaarey Zedek, 1996 recipient
of Israel Bonds Humanities
Award.
Experience includes private
practice (1974-76); Assistant
City Attorney (1976-82);
State Representative and
Senator (1982-90); Circuit
Judge (199 I -present); Chair of
the Senate Judiciary
Committee (1986-90)
• Noted in 1996 as one of 20
judges in Michigan least likely
to be reversed on appeal
•Author and co-author of
legal articles focusing on new
developments in domestic
violence law, rules of evi-
dence, and other legal issues
• Rated "Outstanding" by an
Oakland County bar associa-
tion; recognized as outstand-
ing legislator or legislator of
the year by the Probate
Judges, Michigan Judges, and
Police Officers Associations
of Michigan, and as one of the
Ten Outstanding Young
Michiganders by the Michigan
Jaycees
• Graduate, Michigan State
University and the Detroit
College of Law
• Married 29 years with
2 children
RE-ELECT THE JUDGES OF THE CIRCUIT COURT
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