Daniel Mercier

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Daniel Mercier

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Grosse Pointe South High School

Bachelor's

Michigan State University, 1993

Personal

Birthplace

Grosse Pointe, Mich.

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Personal LinkedIn

Daniel Mercier ran for election for judge of the Wayne County Probate Court in Michigan. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Mercier completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Daniel Mercier was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. He earned a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University in 1993. His career experience includes working as an attorney.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Wayne County, Michigan (2024)

General election

General election for Wayne County Probate Court (2 seats)

Macie Gaines and Todd Briggs defeated Ron Haywood, Daniel Mercier, and Reno Boles in the general election for Wayne County Probate Court on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Macie Gaines (Nonpartisan)	36.2	313,894
✔		Todd Briggs (Nonpartisan)	23.8	206,141
	Submit photo	Ron Haywood (Nonpartisan)	22.3	193,575
		Daniel Mercier (Nonpartisan)	17.7	152,989
	Submit photo	Reno Boles (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.0	3

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 866,602
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Todd Briggs, Macie Gaines, Ron Haywood, and Daniel Mercier advanced from the primary for Wayne County Probate Court.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jennifer Parmalee (Nonpartisan)

Endorsements

To view Mercier's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Mercier in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Daniel Mercier completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Mercier's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a graduate of Michigan State University, Nova Southeastern Law School and admitted to the Michigan State Bar and the U.S. Eastern District of Michigan. I am a father and member of St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church and an avid sailor.

    I am a trial lawyer practicing throughout Wayne County's court system which has earned me the endorsements of many Wayne County judges.  I have gained invaluable experience with the county's justice system as a former Special Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor and as the Assistant Deputy Director of the county's Department of Children & Family Services.  

I am committed to serving and protecting the rights of all litigants involved with our court system and my experience makes me uniquely qualified to do so.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• My top priority is reopening the Wayne County Probate Court which remains largely closed long after COVID. Too many families have suffered because of the closure which has affected their ability to access important court information. Our citizens deserve the same access to their Probate Court that all other citizens enjoy throughout our state.
• My other priority is ensuring that court-appointed attorneys are adequately representing the families they are assigned to protect. Too often the same court appointed attorneys, who receive "100s of appointments", charge individuals and their family estates exorbitant fees which too often goes unchecked, negatively impacting the value of those family estates. Attorney fees should only be approved if they preserve or increase the value of a family's estate, as the law requires.
• It is important to ensure that Wayne County Probate Court receives the resources it is entitled to in order to perform its mandated duties to the public it services which includes full-public access to the court. There remains a shortage of court deputies and staff which has negatively impacted the public's ability to receive the services they are entitled to, including in-person access to court files and assistance. There have been too many complaints about the inability of of the public to reach courtroom staff in order to address important questions. Requiring all contact and filings be made electronically is completely inadequate. Wayne County residents deserve the same access to the court that the rest of the state enjoys.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Because Wayne County Probate Court has the largest percentage of non-represented litigants, it is important that a policy is instituted that has in-person staff available to answer their questions and assist them with their needs. Enforcing a policy that fully reopens the court to the public and that is fully staffed will ensure the public has the same access to justice enjoyed by the rest of the state.
Additionally, adopting a policy that ensures motions and petitions are heard within two weeks of a filing will ensure that the public's important legal issues are promptly addressed and not left lingering for weeks as too often is the case now in Wayne County Probate Court.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The most important characteristic of an elected official is an official who cares about the public's best interests. Judges in Michigan are elected by the people they represent and must remain responsive to their needs. Too often, this basic principle is overlooked.
Another important principle for a judge is to remain committed to following the rule of law. Our justice system is based on laws enacted by our legislators and interpretations of laws by higher courts. Those laws and interpretations known as stare decisis (to stand by things decided) must be applied by judges in order to uphold our system of justice. A judge must be willing and able to apply the law as it is written to the facts of a case.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

My extensive courtroom experience as a Special Assistant Prosecutor and as a litigator throughout Wayne County has given me a broad perspective on how to run an effective court. Having represented both the prosecutor and the defense in our judicial system, I have gained invaluable insight into our legal system which has prepared me to become an fair judge. I have extensive experience in probate matters having served as a Guardian Ad Litem as well as handling specialized probate dockets such as the mental health cases.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

Yes, there are many past and present judges who I admire.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Yes, I do believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge to possess and I believe because of my past life experiences that I am an empathetic person who is able to relate to people from all walks of life.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

Although I am a member of various Bar Associations, I have not been rated by them. I am satisfied that the voting public is able to educate themselves on the candidates and rate them accordingly. The public's rating is the only rating that counts.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I am running for Wayne County Probate judge to improve the public's access to the court by fully reopening the court and to enhance the public's ability to have their probate matters promptly addressed.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes. I believe my previous experience with the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office and the county's Department of Children and Family Services has enhanced my knowledge of the inner workings of our court system. This experience will enable me to better serve the public as a judge.

What is your primary concern about today's legal system in your state?

As I have indicated my primary concern about Wayne County Probate Court's present legal system is its lack of public access and its inability to promptly resolve pending motions and petitions.

Would you be interested in serving on a higher court in the future? If so, which court appeals to you?

Not at this time.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Police Officers Association of Michigan

Wayne County judges:
Hon. Jerome C. Cavanagh
Hon. Jeffrey G. Collins (Ret)
Hon. Paul J. Cusick
Hon. Christopher D. Dingell
Hon. Wanda Evans
Hon. Carl F. Jarboe
Hon. Richard A. Page
Hon. Adel A. Harb
Hon. Edward Ewell, Jr.
Hon. John H. Gillis, Jr.
Hon. Nicholas J. Hathaway
Hon. Susan L. Hubbard
Hon. Edward J. Joseph
Hon. David J. Zelenak
Hon. John C. Gillis
Hon. Kelly A. Ramsey
Hon. Leslie Kim Smith
Hon. Annette J. Berry
Hon. Bridget M. Hathaway
Hon. Greg Clifton
Hon. Anne M. McCarthy
Hon. Victoria I. Shackelford

Hon. Richard L. Caretti (Macomb)

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

The Courts must maintain financial transparency and accountability in order to ensure the public's trust of its judicial system.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

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External links

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Candidate

Wayne County Probate Court

Website

Personal

LinkedIn

Footnotes

Michigan courts

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Federal courts:

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan

State courts:

Michigan Supreme Court • Michigan Court of Appeals • Michigan Circuit Court • Michigan Court of Claims • Michigan District Courts • Michigan Municipal Courts • Michigan Probate Courts

State resources:

Courts in Michigan • Michigan judicial elections • Judicial selection in Michigan