Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Nichole Dunfield Hameed
Nichole Dunfield Hameed is a former candidate for the Seventh Judicial District Court in Michigan.[1] Hameed was defeated in the primary election on August 2, 2016.
Biography
Dunfield was born on August 19, 1976, and attended Comstock High School. She received a bachelor's degree criminal justice and comparative religion from Western Michigan University and a J.D. with a concentration in trial law from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Dunfield was a law clerk at the 36th Circuit Court from 2001 to 2003 and then began working as a private attorney at Nichole M. Dunfield, Attorney at Law.[2]
Her affiliations include the following:
- Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan
- Van Buren County Bar Association
- Michigan Criminal Law Association
- Michigan Children's Law Association[2]
Campaign themes
2016
Dunfield Hameed participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of local judicial candidates. The following sections display her responses to the survey questions. When asked what non-judicial legal experience qualifies her to be a judge, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | I have 13 years working in all of the courts in Van Buren County. I am also a past Law Clerk so I have experience researching legal issues to find the answers I may not know. I have ran a successful business for 13 years also. I am financially responsible and am a proven leader.[2][3] | ” |
When asked why she was running for this particular court seat, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | It is a court of first appearance and I have a lot of experience dealing with people coming into the system for the first time. I believe I can be a fair Judge that understands what the people in the district court need.[2][3] | ” |
When asked to identify one judge, past or present, who she admires, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | William C. Buhl[2][3] | ” |
When asked about her primary concern regarding today's judicial system in her state, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | I am concerned that we need to focus more on balancing punishment with treatment in criminal matters. In civil matters I am concerned that there is not enough access to help if people of all economic statuses.[2][3] | ” |
Elections
2016
Michigan held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election occurred on August 2, 2016. The candidate filing deadline for incumbents was March 21, and the deadline for non-incumbents was April 19.[4] Michael McKay and Cirilo Martinez defeated Nichole Dunfield Hameed in the 7th District primary election .[1]
| 7th District, Primary Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Michael McKay |
54.57% | 5,095 |
| Cirilo Martinez |
38.71% | 3,614 |
| Nichole Dunfield Hameed | 6.72% | 627 |
| Total Votes | 9,336 | |
| Source: Michigan Department of State, "Official Primary Results," August 23, 2016 | ||
Selection method
- See also: Nonpartisan election of judges
Judges of the Michigan District Courts are each elected to six-year terms.[5] The elections for this court are nonpartisan contested elections. To serve on this court, a judge must be a qualified elector of the district, licensed to practice law in the state, under the age of 70, and have five years of experience practicing law.
See also
External links
- Michigan Secretary of State, "2016 Michigan Unofficial Candidate Listing," April 19, 2016
- Official campaign website
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Michigan Secretary of State, "2016 Michigan Unofficial Candidate Listing," April 19, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Ballotpedia's local judicial candidate survey, 2016, "Nichole Dunfield Hameed's Responses," May 13, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "2016 Michigan Election Dates," accessed December 7, 2015
- ↑ Michigan Courts, "Michigan Trial Courts," accessed April 3, 2017
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
| ||||||||||
