Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan


The Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan is the largest circuit court in the state, with 58 judges and three operating divisions. The Third Circuit Court has jurisdiction over civil, criminal, and family matters arising in Wayne County. The National Center for State Courts has cited the Third Circuit Court as one of the model urban courts in the United States for case flow management and the timely disposition of the Court's docket.

Chief Judges

Chief JudgesTerm
Honorable Joseph A. SullivanJanuary 1967 - January 1975
Honorable James N. CanhamJanuary 1975 - December 1977
Honorable Richard DunnJanuary 1978 - December 1985
Honorable Joseph B. SullivanJanuary 1986 - March 1986
Honorable W. Leo CahalanMarch 1986 - March 1986
Honorable Richard KaufmanMarch 1986 - December 1993
Honorable James RashidJanuary 1994 - September 1997
Honorable Michael SapalaOctober 1997 - December 2001
Honorable Timothy Kenny January 2002 - December 2003
Honorable Mary Beth KellyJanuary 2002 - December 2007
Honorable William GiovanJanuary 2008 - December 2008
Honorable Virgil C. SmithJanuary 2009 - December 2013
Honorable Robert J. ColomboJanuary 2014 - Present