Kuhnke noted during a League of Women Voters debate Thursday night that Morris is the only female judge to ever serve on the county's five-member Circuit Court bench. Stanton | Fink pulled 41.4 percent of the vote compared to Kuhnke's 29.8 percent, while Erane Washington and Doug McClure, both Democrats, took 17 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively.įink and Kuhnke are now facing off for a chance to take over the seat being vacated by Melinda Morris, who is retiring. His father, Robert Fink, and brother, Karl Fink, served as Washtenaw County judges. "While the trials are not 100 percent of the work of the court, 100 percent of the work of the court is preparing cases for trial, because that's where they're all headed if they don't settle," she said.įink and Kuhnke emerged as the top vote-getters in a four-way primary race back in August, thus advancing to the November general election.įink comes from a family of lawyers and judges.
#JIM FINK STOCKS TRIAL#
Kuhnke said she's tried dozens of cases in Circuit Court as a trial attorney and she thinks that kind of experience is absolutely critical. It's not a minor event, but it's not what a circuit judge spends most of his or her time doing." "Trials are one of the minor things that are important. "I have participated in virtually everything that might come before the Circuit Court," he said, referencing both his experience as a private attorney and the two decades he spent working for the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office. While Kuhnke may have more experience trying cases in Circuit Court, Fink argues he's still the most qualified because he believes he has the broadest experience. I've spent my entire career working in our circuit courts, handling motions and depositions and trying cases." "There are some who handle transactions, manage corporations and write contracts. "Many lawyers never go to court," Kuhnke said. Her basis for saying that is she believes she's had more experience trying cases than her opponent. Kuhnke argues she's the most experienced for the job. Fink, a former law enforcement officer, has been in private practice for about 14 years. Stanton | Kuhnke has been an attorney in private practice for nearly 20 years. She notes that retiring Judge Melinda Morris is the only female to ever serve on the county's five-member Circuit Court bench and the county risks going back to an all-male bench. Kuhnke speaks at a forum hosted by the West Washtenaw Business Association on Wednesday. But she said there are times when a law is not clear and a judge has to rely on his or her conscience and work to make the right call. Kuhnke agreed it's a judge's job to follow the law, and she insists that's exactly what she would do as an impartial and unbiased judge. "I have been endorsed by many Republicans, many Democrats, and many who are politically unaffiliated because they trust me to put politics aside and to render decisions based on the law." "This is a nonpartisan race and it is important that people have faith that the decisions of a judge and the way the judge administers justice has nothing to do with partisan politics," he said. "When I talk about it being a nonpartisan race, people will frequently say, 'Yeah, I get all that, but are you a Democrat or a Republican?' And I'll tell them I'm a Democrat," Kuhnke said.įink believes political leanings shouldn't matter. But in a presidential election year, talking politics can be hard to avoid. 6 will get the rare opportunity to fill an open seat on Washtenaw County's 22nd Circuit Court bench and it's a choice between two attorneys who are political opposites.Īnn Arbor resident Carol Kuhnke, a pro-choice Democrat, is running against Ypsilanti resident Jim Fink, a pro-life conservative who leans Republican.īoth will appear on the ballot without party affiliation since it's technically a nonpartisan race. Local attorneys Jim Fink and Carol Kuhnke chat before the start of a Thursday night debate hosted by the League of Women Voters in Ann Arbor.
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