David M. Parrott

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David M. Parrott

Nonpartisan

Prior offices

Michigan 34th District Court

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 4, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of Michigan, 1982

Law

Wayne State University Law School, 1985

Personal

Birthplace

Detroit, Mich.

David M. Parrott was a judge of the Michigan 34th District Court. He left office on December 31, 2020.

Parrott ran for re-election for judge of the Michigan 34th District Court. He lost in the primary on August 4, 2020.

Parrott completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Parrott was first elected in 2002, and was re-elected in 2008. Parrott was re-elected to the court on November 4, 2014, for another six-year term. 

Biography

Education

Parrott received a bachelor's degree in political science and economics from the University of Michigan in 1982, and a J.D. from Wayne State University Law School in 1985.

Career

• 2003-2020: Judge, 34th District Court
• 2001-2002: Counsel, Sullivan, Ward, Asher & Patton, P.C.
• 1991-2001: Attorney, David M. Parrott, Attorney and Counselor
• 1986-1991: Attorney and counselor, Ronald Zajac, P.C.

Awards and associations

Awards

• 2007-2008: Outstanding Volunteer Leader, Belleville Boys and Girls Club
• 2005: Noble Hamrick Member of the Year, Huron Valley Conservation Association

Associations

• Vice-president, Huron Valley Conservation Association
• Member and past president (2012-2013), Belleville Rotary Club
• Member, American Judicature Society
• Member, American Constitution Society
• Board of Governors, American Judges Association
• Member, Wayne County District Judges Association

Elections

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Wayne County, Michigan (2020)

General election

General election for Michigan 34th District Court

Lisa Martin defeated Alexandria Taylor in the general election for Michigan 34th District Court on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lisa Martin (Nonpartisan)	51.8	16,331
		Alexandria Taylor (Nonpartisan)	46.8	14,733
		Other/Write-in votes	1.4	434

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 31,498
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Michigan 34th District Court

Lisa Martin and Alexandria Taylor defeated incumbent David M. Parrott, Robert Coutts, and John Day in the primary for Michigan 34th District Court on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lisa Martin (Nonpartisan)	27.3	4,202
✔		Alexandria Taylor (Nonpartisan)	24.7	3,795
		David M. Parrott (Nonpartisan)	22.3	3,430
		Robert Coutts (Nonpartisan)	13.9	2,144
	Submit photo	John Day (Nonpartisan)	11.5	1,765
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	51

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,387 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

2014

See also: Michigan judicial elections, 2014
Parrott ran for re-election to the 34th District Court.
Primary: He was successful in the primary on August 5, 2014, receiving 60.1 percent of the vote. He competed against Lisa Martin and Charles Septowski.
General: He defeated Lisa Martin in the general election on November 4, 2014, receiving 57.9 percent of the vote.  

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

David M. Parrott completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Parrott'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.

After living in our community for 34 years and with 18 years of judicial experience, I want to continue serving the residents of the 34th District Court in the best way I can-as part of our team of dedicated judges. Together, we have developed problem solving dockets to address specific needs in our community. My professional activities locally and nationally as a member of the Michigan Court Forms Committee and officer in the Wayne District Judges Association and American Judges Association demonstrate my devotion to the law, the legal system, and the administration of justice. Likewise, my civic and charitable activities such as Rotary show that I am active in and committed to the well-being of our community. My last evaluation by the Detroit Bar Association was "Outstanding." I look forward to continuing to serve our residents as one of their trusted 34th District Court judges.

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 18 years of experience on the bench assure that everyone gets their day in court and are treated fairly and with respect.
• I have an extensive long-standing commitment and dedication to our community both off the bench as well as in court.
• I believe in firm but fair justice to hold offenders accountable but help get them back on track.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My goal is to dispense justice fairly and firmly, but with compassion and understanding by providing guidance to help people get back on track. I believe each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty but if proven guilty, is entitled to an individualized sentence based upon his or her particular circumstances, such as prior criminal history and substance abuse or mental health issues. Most important to me is to determine whether a defendant has deliberately and consciously broken the law, or rather has made a poor choice or mistake not likely to be repeated. My most rewarding and enjoyable moments on the bench are when I can be a part of a someone's solution. Accountability is important to me and I am a no-nonsense judge who follows the law. I continue to rely upon my 18 years of experience, constant training and commitment to continuing judicial education to meet these goals.

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

Firm, Fair, Experienced!

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

My goal is to dispense justice fairly and firmly, but with compassion and understanding by providing guidance to help people get back on track. I believe each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty but if proven guilty, is entitled to an individualized sentence based upon his or her particular circumstances, such as prior criminal history and substance abuse or mental health issues. Most important to me is to determine whether a defendant has deliberately and consciously broken the law, or rather has made a poor choice or mistake not likely to be repeated. My most rewarding and enjoyable moments on the bench are when I can be a part of a someone's solution. Accountability is important to me and I am a no-nonsense judge who follows the law. I continue to rely upon my 18 years of experience, constant training and commitment to continuing judicial education to meet these goals.

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

Absolutely! We are all human and therefore imperfect. A good judge should remember that he or she is human and imperfect too. Making mistakes and learning from them is what helps us grow and makes all of us, including judges, better people. Most district court defendants have not deliberately and consciously broken the law, but rather have made a poor choice or mistake not likely to be repeated. With empathy, an experienced judge such as me can help them get back on track.

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

In my last evaluation by the Detroit Bar Association, I received the highest "Outstanding" rating.

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

Experience as a judge is critical. Lawyers have been trained to be advocates for their clients, not impartial arbiters of the law and facts. Once elected as a judge, the State Court Administrative Office and Michigan Judicial Institute provide extensive training and support. Professional judicial organizations such as the Michigan District Judges Association, as well as the Michigan Supreme Court, hold annual educational and networking conferences. National organizations such as the American Judges Association and The National Judicial College provide additional educational resources to judges. Over my 18 years as a judge, I have not only resolved tens of thousands of cases, but I have also availed myself of and participated extensively in all of these educational and training opportunities.

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

2020 Elections

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• Judicial selection in Michigan

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Facebook, "Judge David M. Parrott"

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