ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – On Tuesday, Delta County voters will select the next judge of the 94th District Court.
After more than a decade, District Court Judge Steven Parks is passing on the robe. Looking to replace him are Andrew Hayse and Trent Stupak.
Having worked for the Delta County Circuit Court for over four years, Hayse is the current Domestic Relations Referee, as well as a District Court after-hours magistrate. He has past experience as an assistant prosecutor.
“Lots of attorneys have experience appearing in court and making arguments in court,” Hayse said. “Not a lot of attorneys have experience being behind a bench. I’ve had the opportunity to flex a whole lot of muscles that a district court judge needs to know how to do. The only difference between myself and a judge is I make recommendations for court orders; a judge makes a court order. An after-hours magistrate handles search warrant issues for the police… I also handle bond issues.”
Stupak has worked as a lawyer in Delta County for 25 years. He has practiced in district, circuit, and probate courtrooms in 13 of the Upper Peninsula’s 15 counties.
“I think I’m the most qualified for this position because of my years of experience, because of my community connection and ties to Delta County, and also because of my knowledge of the law,” said Stupak. “I’m endorsed by twelve judges, seven prosecuting attorneys, and most of the lawyers in the Escanaba area. The combination of experience, community ties, and my knowledge of the law by far makes me the most qualified to take on the position as the 94th District Judge.”
Delta County is facing an attorney shortage. To address that problem, Hayse would draw students to the area by launching a paid internship program, much like the one that brought him to the area.
“The bar passage class this year was only 480 people, which is not a whole lot,” he said. “The U.P. would be lucky to get two or three people out of that graduating class to come here. We can afford an opportunity to law students to come up here, see what Delta County has to offer, and then convince them to set their shingle up here and start their career up here”
To help meet the need for representation, Stupak would work to establish a local public defender’s office.
“We have more clients than lawyers,” he said. “Marquette has a public defender’s office where it’s staffed with several lawyers, paralegals, receptionists. They can handle the volume, and it’s successful. I know Marquette County is larger than Delta County, but that’s a good starting point. That will assist immensely in the problem that we have.”
Both candidates are in favor of maintaining the County’s Drug and Sobriety Court. They also both list mental health as a top priority. Hayse aims to create a similar court for mental health.
“It’s gotten a lot of people off of drugs and back into the community and not committing crimes,” said Hayse. ” I’d like to afford that same opportunity for those that are diagnosed with a mental health issue so that we don’t have these people who fall off their medication, fall off their treatment plan, and start committing crimes, and then graduating them instead of just locking them up and throwing away the key.”
Stupak says addressing funding and staffing issues would allow the court to better address mental health needs.
“We need people that can come in and can provide the background necessary to assist people who are dealing with mental health problems in our community,” Stupak said. “I’ve talked to Judge Thomas Slagle from Dickinson County, who’s been a judge for 22 years in the probate court, and he can’t get adequate funding from the State for a mental health court. I think really putting that part of the Drug and Sobriety Court makes the most sense. “
Stupak says increasing staff would also shorten the time it takes for a case to get from the initial charges to a trial or sentencing.
“It will make cases that are in progress conclude faster because we will have lawyers here locally, as opposed to lawyers traveling from out of the area,” he said.
Hayse says the court can become more efficient by ruling consistently.
“If attorneys and parties know when they come before you that you have a very specific thinking as to certain cases, it makes it a lot easier for cases to get settled,” he said. “It makes it a lot easier to know, ‘Hey, if I’m coming to the court, this is what the outcome is, so it’s in my best interest to come up with an agreement.”
Delta County residents can vote early at the Wells Township Hall through Sunday, November 1, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
