Wayne County Primary Key Races and Dearborn Charter Question

Wayne County Key Races and Dearborn Charter Question

Wayne County voters select their County Clerk and judges for the 3rd and 34th Circuit Courts on Aug. 6, while Dearborn residents also vote on changes to the city charter which underwent its 12 year review.

Wayne County Clerk Candidates

Cathy M. Garrett

The incumbent Wayne County Clerk, of Detroit, was elected 24 years ago in 2000. In a story published July 9 in the Michigan Chronicle, Garrett spoke about the importance of voting: “Every cycle, every election is crucial. No matter the level of government or the time of year, citizens are asked to select people to represent them. If they choose not to vote, they have diluted their voice…”Read more about Garrett here: https://www.facebook.com/WayneCountyClerk/

Hadi Tarraf

Tarraf, of Dearborn, is the founder of a towing company and auto dealership. He said he’s running to be Wayne County Clerk to improve transparency, efficiency and integrity. In a post on his Instagram page, Tarraf said he is “committed to ensuring that our office serves every resident with dedication and fairness.” Tarraf said he3 will ensure county records and proceedings are accessible to the public, streamline operations and uphold the highest ethical standards.Read more about Tarraf here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C8fIv_DxqmU/

Wayne County 3rd Circuit Court Judge Candidates

Nicole Leighanne Castka

Castka, of Grosse Pointe Farms, is a criminal defense attorney in Detroit and yoga instructor. She worked in a public defender’s office in Detroit for seven years. In 2017, she created a Bright Life Detroit chapter, a non-profit that feeds and clothes homeless in Detroit. She said she has worked free of charge to clear warrants for people so they can obtain housing and jobs. She teaches yoga, meditation, and pranayama, which are breathing exercises developed in India.Read more about Castka here: https://www.castkaforjudge.com/ and here: https://www.instagram.com/theenlightenedlawyer/

John Larkin

Larkin, of Northville, is an attorney based in Livonia with 33 years of trial experience. Larkin said he is a lifelong Wayne County resident who attended Catholic schools, “where my core values of justice, fairness, and empathy were formed.” He has worked at the Most Holy Trinity Legal Clinic for more than 20 years and has held leadership roles at the Livonia Bar Association. He has volunteered at the Ark Food Bank in Detroit, Trumbull Soup Kitchen, Livonia Rotary, and Knights of Columbus. “I promise and commit to administering the law with fairness, justice, reason, and treating everyone with dignity and respect,” he said.Read more about Larkin here: https://larkin4judge.com/

Adrienne G. Scruggs

Scruggs, of Livonia, is an attorney who has worked in her private practice as a judicial attorney in 3rd Circuit Court, and as a senior staff attorney for Wayne County Friend of the Court. She currently works in Washtenaw County’s 22nd Circuit Court as a Referee, where she conducts hearings on family law. Scruggs once clerked for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and the UAW International Union- Solidarity House. She said it’s “important … for the justice system to be accessible, fair, and most of all, compassionate.”Read more about Scruggs here: https://www.scruggsforjudge.com/

Wayne County 34th District Court Judge

Todd L. Barron

Barron, of Romulus, is an attorney in Taylor seeking to be a judge in 34th district court. Barron said he has more than 28 years of experience practicing law both as a defense attorney and a prosecutor. He said he’s the incoming president of the Downriver Bar Association. Barron said he has deep roots in Romulus, with family that has lived in Romulus and Huron Township for over 100 years. He said that if elected, he will uphold the “principles of fairness, integrity, and accountability.”Read more about Barron here: https://barronfor34.com/

Robert P. Coutts

Coutts, a 25-year resident of Van Buren Township, said he is an experienced trial attorney in Allen Park with experience working in 34th district court. He’s been with a private practice since 1991, served as an assistant city attorney for various municipalities and as a public defender over the years. From 2003 to 2007, he was a trustee at Van Buren Public Schools and a former president of the Belleville Rotary Club. He’s also been active in other community groups. He’s running on his record of experience, integrity and service.Read more about Coutts here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094730005364 and here: https://www.attorneyrobertcoutts.com/about

Teresa Patton

Patton, of Van Buren Township, is an attorney who has worked at the 34th District Court as an assistant prosecuting attorney and a court-appointed defense attorney. In 2019, she became administrator of the indigent defense program for the 34th District Court. She is currently the director of The Regional Managed Assigned Counsel Office, which was created to work with 20 district courts in Wayne County on implementing the standards of the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission. “I support due process of law and equal access to justice for all regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, or religious or personal beliefs,” Patton said.Read more about Patton here: https://teresapatton4judge.com/

Dearborn Charter Question

Voters in Dearborn are deciding whether to approve changes to their city charter proposed by the Dearborn Charter Commission, whose members were elected earlier. The process to review the city charter takes place every 12 years. The proposed changes include a new board of ethics, improving diversity in city commissions, strengthening retiree healthcare benefits, among other changes. The changes would also eliminate minimum staffing requirements for the number of police officers, in keeping with changes to state law that restrict such requirements.

For more information on the proposed changes, visit: https://cityofdearborn.org/chartercommission and https://cityofdearborn.org/documents/commissions-and-boards/charter-commission/2024-approved-revised-city-charter/8543-2024-charter-comparison-document-1/file

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Wayne County Primary Key Races and Dearborn Charter Question