Michigan Fourth District Court of Appeals
The Michigan Fourth District Court of Appeals is located in Lansing, Michigan.[1]
The Fourth District includes the following counties: Alcona, Alger, Alpena, Antrim, Arenac, Baraga, Bay, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Clare, Clinton, Crawford, Delta, Dickinson, Emmet, Gladwin, Gogebic, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Houghton, Huron, Ingham, Iosco, Iron, Isabella, Kalkaska, Keweenaw, Lake, Lapeer, Leelanau, Livingston, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Manistee, Mecosta, Menominee, Midland, Missaukee, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Ontonagon, Osceola, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon, Saginaw, St. Clair, Sanilac, Schoolcraft, Tuscola, and Wexford.[2]
- Published opinions of the Michigan Court of Appeals can be found here.
| Michigan Court of Appeals | |||
 | |||
| Court information | |||
| Judges: | 25[3] | ||
| Founded: | 1963 | ||
| Salary: | Associates: $195,625[4] | ||
| Judicial selection | |||
| Method: | Nonpartisan election of judges | ||
| Term: | 6 years | ||
Judges
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
2003 - Present |
Jennifer Granholm |
|
|
2009 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
2017 - Present |
Rick Snyder |
|
|
January 5, 2015 - Present |
Rick Snyder |
|
|
January 1, 2021 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
January 9, 2023 - Present |
Gretchen Whitmer |
Salary
- See also: Michigan court salaries and budgets
In 2025, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $195,625, according to the National Center for State Courts.[5]
Former judges
Judicial selection
The judges of the Michigan Court of Appeals are chosen in nonpartisan elections and must face re-election if they wish to remain on the court. Unlike the supreme court, candidates are placed on the ballot via nonpartisan primaries or by nominating petitions. Judges on the appeals court serve six-year terms.[6]
Qualifications
To be elected to the appeals court, a judge must:
- be a qualified elector of his or her district;
- be licensed to practice law in the state;
- have at least five years of law practice experience;
- be under the age of 70.[6]
Chief judge
The chief judge of the appeals court is selected by supreme court appointment for a term lasting two years.[6]
Vacancies
The process for filling vacancies on the appeals court is identical to that used by the supreme court. With the assistance of the judicial qualifications committee, the governor names a replacement to serve until the next general election.[6]
Elections
See also: Michigan intermediate appellate court elections, 2030
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
See also: Michigan intermediate appellate court elections, 2028
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
See also: Michigan intermediate appellate court elections, 2026
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
See also: Michigan intermediate appellate court elections, 2024
Regular election
General election
General election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals
Incumbent Stephen L. Borrello (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Stephen L. Borrello (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 818,555 | |
| Total votes: 818,555 | |||
 = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary
The primary scheduled for August 6, 2024, was canceled. Incumbent Stephen L. Borrello (Nonpartisan) advanced from the primary for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals without appearing on the ballot.
Special election
General election
Special general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals
Incumbent Allie Greenleaf Maldonado (Nonpartisan) won election in the special general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Allie Greenleaf Maldonado (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 808,397 | |
| Total votes: 808,397 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary
The primary scheduled for August 6, 2024, was canceled. Incumbent Allie Greenleaf Maldonado (Nonpartisan) advanced from the special primary for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals without appearing on the ballot.
See also: Michigan intermediate appellate court elections, 2022
General election
General election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals (2 seats)
Incumbent Michael Gadola (Nonpartisan) and incumbent Brock Swartzle (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Michael Gadola (Nonpartisan) | 51.9 | 609,657 | |
| ✔ |  | Brock Swartzle (Nonpartisan) | 48.1 | 565,831 |
| Total votes: 1,175,488 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
See also: Michigan intermediate appellate court elections, 2020
Non-incumbent seat
General election
General election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals
Michelle Rick (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Michelle Rick (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 802,117 |
| Total votes: 802,117 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Incumbent seats
General election
General election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals (2 seats)
Incumbent Michael J. Kelly (Nonpartisan) and incumbent Amy Ronayne Krause (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Michael J. Kelly (Nonpartisan) | 52.4 | 738,520 | |
| ✔ | Amy Ronayne Krause (Nonpartisan) | 47.6 | 670,234 | |
| Total votes: 1,408,754 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
See also: Michigan intermediate appellate court elections, 2018
Regular election
General election
General election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals
Incumbent Stephen L. Borrello (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Stephen L. Borrello (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 744,970 | |
| Total votes: 744,970 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Special election
General election
Special general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals
Incumbent Brock Swartzle (Nonpartisan) won election in the special general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Brock Swartzle (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 730,278 |
| Total votes: 730,278 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Ethics
The Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Michigan. It consists of eight overarching canons:
| “ |
|
” |
The full text of the Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.
Removal of judges
Judges in Michigan may be removed in one of three ways:
- The Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission may make a recommendation to the Michigan Supreme Court that a judge be suspended, retired, censured, or removed[9]
- A judge may be removed by the governor of Michigan with a concurrent resolution of two-thirds of the members of both the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate[10]
- The Michigan House of Representatives can impeach a judge by a majority vote, and the Michigan Senate can then convict a judge with a two-thirds vote.[11]
History
The Michigan Court of Appeals was created by the Constitution of 1963, Article VI, Section 1, under which the State of Michigan has "one court of justice." According to the Michigan Court of Appeals website, "The judicial power of the state is vested exclusively in one court of justice which shall be divided into one supreme court, one court of appeals, one trial court of general jurisdiction known as the circuit court, one probate court, and courts of limited jurisdiction that the legislature may establish by a two-thirds vote of the members elected to and serving in each house." In 1965, when the Court of Appeals first assembled, it had nine judges: Chief Judge T. John Lesinski, Chief Judge pro tempore John W. Fitzgerald, Judge Robert B. Burns, Judge John H. Gillis, Judge Donald E. Holbrook, Judge Thomas Giles Kavanagh, Judge Louis D. McGregor, Judge Timothy C. Quinn and Judge John D. Watts. The court had offices in three cities: Lansing, Detroit and Grand Rapids. The court opened another office in Southfield in 1994, which was moved to Troy in 2004.[12]
Office location
The Fourth District office is located at Hall of Justice, 925 West Ottawa Street, P.O. Box 30022, Lansing, MI 48909-7522.[13]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Michigan Courts, "About the Court," accessed October 12, 2015
- ↑ Michigan Courts, "Election District Map," archived October 22, 2014
- ↑ Legislation to reduce IAC judges from 28 to 24 was enacted in 2012; the reduction is to be performed by attrition over time, not by removing sitting judges from their positions.
- ↑ The salary of the chief judge may be higher than an associate judge.
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "2025 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 8, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 27, 2021
- ↑ Michigan Judicial Branch, "Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct," accessed August 18, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ State of Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission, "What the Commission CAN Do," accessed July 17, 2023
- ↑ Justia US Law, "Michigan Constitution Article VI - JUDICIAL BRANCH § 25 Removal of judges from office," accessed July 17, 2023
- ↑ JUSTIA US Law, "Michigan Supreme Court Decisions," accessed August 18, 2025
- ↑ Michigan Courts, "Court of Appeals History," accessed July 10, 2014
- ↑ Michigan Courts, "COA Clerk's Office," archived May 9, 2015
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
