24 | OCTOBER 15 • 2020 

C

larence Dass, founder of 
the Dass Law Firm and 
former Oakland County 
assistant prosecutor, is challeng-
ing Lori Savin in the Nov. 3 elec-
tion. Here are highlights from 
his Zoom interview with the JN 
edited for length and clarity.

APPROACH TO THE BENCH
I believe judges should have 
empathy and understand what 
it’
s like to be every single per-
son in a courtroom. I’
ve been a 
prosecutor, a defense attorney, 
a cancer survivor — I know 
what it’
s like to be at the most 
desperate moment of your life, 
which is what most of the people 
who come to court are facing. A 
judge’
s job is to follow the law, 

but I believe this can be done 
with a sense of empathy.

RACIAL JUSTICE
There’
s a race problem, not just 
in the court system, but system-
atically in the U.S. Why do we 
have over a 70 percent minority 
incarceration rate in Oakland 
County? Why is it more like-
ly for a person of color to be 
stopped by police? Why is the 
result of a court case affected by 
the attorney a person can afford? 
Prosecutors, law enforcement, 
and judges have to work togeth-
er in a critical way to eradicate 
these things. I would require 
my staff to perform implicit bias 
training as I do now in my own 
law firm. 

ANTISEMITISM
I believe free speech stops at 
the point it becomes hateful. 
Antisemitism, racism, prejudice 
and bigotry have no role in any 
protected class of society. They 
should be viewed as hate speech 
and prosecuted as such. 

LAW ENFORCEMENT
I’
ve prosecuted police officers. 
They’
re flawed like any human 
being, and when they make 
mistakes, they aren’
t to be given 
a pass or an excuse. Police need 
to be trained throughout their 
career on de-escalation and cul-
tural and racial diversity, and not 
just once at the beginning. 

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Having been a prosecutor and 
a defense attorney, my focus 
isn’
t being tough on crime. It’
s 
about being smart on crime, and 
you have to know both sides to 
understand the majority of peo-
ple with offenses need treatment 

rather than incarceration. 
Incarceration should be 
reserved for those who pose a 
great danger to society by com-
mitting violent crimes like sexual 
assault and murder. The legisla-
ture needs to start pumping in 
resources for people who need 
rehabilitation instead.

JEWISH COMMUNITY TIES
In 2016, the Chaldean commu-
nity was almost extinguished in 
the Middle East by ISIS, and the 
Jewish community was the first 
to support us. Similarly, when 
antisemitism reared its ugly 
head again, I, along with others 
through the Chaldean Chamber 
of Commerce, protested and 
held seminars about this.
Every time one of our com-
munities takes a hit, we’
re 
there for each other. It’
s been 
a partnership I hope will con-
tinue. 

More at 
 www.thejewishnews.com.

L

orie Savin, a lawyer and 
a referee at the Friend of 
the Court for 17½ years, 
is challenging Clarence Dass in 
the Nov. 3 election for the seat 
that Judge James Alexander is 
vacating after reaching mandato-
ry retirement age. Savin recently 
joined the JN for a Zoom inter-
view. Highlights are below, edit-
ed for length and clarity.

APPROACH TO THE BENCH
Familiarity with the law and 
family law is most important in 
my decision-making. The sec-
ond motivation for me are the 
children I’
ve had to answer to, 
whether I’
ve represented them 

in court or interviewed them 
in custody and parenting time 
cases. 

JEWISH BACKGROUND
As a lawyer and a referee, I ask 
myself, am I doing justice to the 
people I’
m serving? Am I caring 
about people the way I’
d want 
them to care about me? These 
values were the foundation of 
what I learned in synagogue. 

RACIAL JUSTICE
The way the system is rigged, 
including the legal system and 
evictions, negatively impacts 
people of color more. How we 
score people’
s credit and the 

unfair treatment people receive 
in the mortgage industry, this 
goes back to redlining. Judges 
need to be part of the solution.
As president of the Referees 
Association, I’
ve been active in 
State Bar of Michigan commit-
tees that work to educate lawyers 
and judicial officers on issues 
such as implicit biases. I’
ve long 
advocated that our conduct, 
word choices and actions, both 
in and outside of court, affect 
the ability of people to trust the 
court and legal systems.

POLICE MISCONDUCT
Because somebody is in a 
position of authority within a 
community, this doesn’
t excuse 
them from conduct that’
s illegal 
or would cause the public to lose 
faith in their government. We 
can’
t tolerate the abuse of power, 
with a badge or a gavel.

COVID-19
Accessibility and stress are two 
big factors when it comes to how 

I do my job right now. Zoom 
has made court more accessible 
for those who’
ve struggled with 
transportation in the past and 
can now get online for their 
hearing. But there are people 
who don’
t have consistent access 
to the internet or don’
t know 
how to use their smartphone in 
that way. 
I’
ve often called people and 
walked them through getting 
onto the system to participate. 
I don’
t want to have somebody 
miss their hearing because of 
technology problems.
COVID has stressed every 
single person I know, even 
people who still have their jobs, 
even those with good health 
insurance. The most important 
thing I can do is try to be under-
standing and compassionate 
and appreciate these are unusual 
times. We all have to give each 
other a bit of a break. 

More at 
 www.thejewishnews.com.

Lorie Savin: ‘We 
Can’t Tolerate 
Abuse of Power’

Clarence Dass: 
‘Judges Should 
Have Empathy’

Oakland County Circuit Court Judge

