Courts · November 3, 2026

Third Circuit Court · Incumbent positions

What this office does

Wayne County’s Circuit Court hears serious criminal charges, major civil disputes and family cases. Judges apply the law to disputes that can affect liberty, family relationships and property; their assigned divisions may change.

Michigan · Judicial Branch

16 listed candidates · Vote for no more than 16

6 years

Canton Precinct 8 sample ballot · PDF page 1 · Names and voting limits follow this sample.

Uncontested on the supplied printed ballot

The number of listed candidates equals the number of seats. This does not rule out qualified write-ins. These are brief background profiles, not endorsements.

You may leave any race blank; your votes in other races still count. University of Michigan · ballot basics

How to read judicial records

Research reviewed October 12, 2026. We have not verified a 2026 bar poll or evaluation for the candidates below. Dated historical evaluations are identified separately; an unverified rating is not a negative rating.

The Detroit Bar’s Judicial Candidate Evaluation Committee assesses qualifications. Its evaluations are not a poll of all lawyers or a party endorsement. A “No Rating/Did Not Participate” entry does not establish that a candidate is unqualified.

Opinion examples illustrate specific reasoning, not a complete record or ranking. We distinguish authorship, joining an opinion, and dissent. Trial-court rulings are not uniformly published; a missing example is a research gap, not a judgment about experience.

Detroit Bar · evaluation process and current information

See this race’s local club endorsements ↓

Nonpartisan

David J. Allen

Background

Civil Division judge (January 2026 court directory).

Career history beyond this directory listing has not yet been verified for this guide as of October 12, 2026.

Judicial record

Appointment or election history: Appointment and election dates have not yet been verified in this guide.
Bar evaluation: A current rating has not yet been verified. See the research note above.
Opinion example: No individual written-opinion example has yet been reviewed for this candidate.

Sources

Third Circuit · Officials and Contacts (January 27, 2026)
Court directory · Division assignments as of the directory date; assignments may change. Ballot names may be shortened differently in this directory.

Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Nonpartisan

Chandra W. Baker-Robinson

Background

Criminal Division judge (January 2026 court directory).

Career history beyond this directory listing has not yet been verified for this guide as of October 12, 2026.

Judicial record

Appointment or election history: Appointment and election dates have not yet been verified in this guide.
Bar evaluation: A current rating has not yet been verified. See the research note above.
Opinion example: No individual written-opinion example has yet been reviewed for this candidate.

Sources

Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Nonpartisan

Christopher M. Blount

Background

Criminal Division judge (January 2026 court directory).

Career history beyond this directory listing has not yet been verified for this guide as of October 12, 2026.

Judicial record

Appointment or election history: Appointment and election dates have not yet been verified in this guide.
Bar evaluation: A current rating has not yet been verified. See the research note above.
Opinion example: No individual written-opinion example has yet been reviewed for this candidate.

Sources

Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Nonpartisan

Nicole L. Castka

Background

Criminal Division judge (January 2026 court directory).

Judicial record

Appointment or election history: Appointed by Governor Whitmer to the Third Circuit in 2025, filling Mariam Saad Bazzi’s vacancy. The announcement describes her prior private legal practice.
Governor’s appointment announcement · May 15, 2025
Bar evaluation: Historical · July 2024: Well Qualified. This is the committee’s entry for the 2024 Third Circuit election, not a 2026 assessment.
Detroit Bar · July 2024 evaluation list (PDF)
Opinion example: No individual written-opinion example has yet been reviewed for this candidate.

Sources

Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Nonpartisan

Bradley L. Cobb

Background

Criminal Division judge (January 2026 court directory).

Judicial record

Appointment or election history: Appointed by Governor Whitmer to the Third Circuit in 2022. Previously a Wayne County assistant prosecutor, including trial supervision and diversion work.
Governor’s appointment announcement · August 25, 2022
Bar evaluation: Historical · July 2024: No Rating/Did Not Participate. This is the committee’s entry for the 2024 Third Circuit election, not a 2026 assessment.
Detroit Bar · July 2024 evaluation list (PDF)
Opinion example: No individual written-opinion example has yet been reviewed for this candidate.

Sources

Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Nonpartisan

Chris Dingell

Background

Family — Domestic Division judge (January 2026 court directory).

Career history beyond this directory listing has not yet been verified for this guide as of October 12, 2026.

Judicial record

Appointment or election history: Appointment and election dates have not yet been verified in this guide.
Bar evaluation: A current rating has not yet been verified. See the research note above.
Opinion example: No individual written-opinion example has yet been reviewed for this candidate.

Sources

Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Nonpartisan

Charlene M. Elder

Background

Civil Division judge (January 2026 court directory).

Career history beyond this directory listing has not yet been verified for this guide as of October 12, 2026.

Judicial record

Appointment or election history: Appointment and election dates have not yet been verified in this guide.
Bar evaluation: A current rating has not yet been verified. See the research note above.
Opinion example: No individual written-opinion example has yet been reviewed for this candidate.

Sources

Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Nonpartisan

Helal A. Farhat

Background

Family — Domestic Division judge (January 2026 court directory).

Judicial record

Appointment or election history: Appointed by Governor Whitmer to the Third Circuit in 2019 to succeed Vonda Evans.
Governor’s appointment announcement · March 28, 2019
Bar evaluation: A current rating has not yet been verified. See the research note above.
Opinion example: No individual written-opinion example has yet been reviewed for this candidate.

Sources

Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Nonpartisan

Nicole N. Goodson

Background

Family — Domestic Division judge (January 2026 court directory).

Career history beyond this directory listing has not yet been verified for this guide as of October 12, 2026.

Judicial record

Appointment or election history: Appointment and election dates have not yet been verified in this guide.
Bar evaluation: Historical · July 2024: No Rating/Did Not Participate. This is the committee’s entry for the 2024 Third Circuit election, not a 2026 assessment.
Detroit Bar · July 2024 evaluation list (PDF)
Opinion example: No individual written-opinion example has yet been reviewed for this candidate.

Sources

Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Nonpartisan

Edward J. Joseph

Background

Civil Division judge (January 2026 court directory).

Judicial record

Appointment or election history: Appointed to the Third Circuit by Governor Snyder in 2014, according to the court’s January 2015 newsletter.
Third Circuit Court · January 2015 newsletter
Bar evaluation: A current rating has not yet been verified. See the research note above.
Opinion example: No individual written-opinion example has yet been reviewed for this candidate.

Sources

Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Nonpartisan

Mary Beth Kelly

Background

Family — Domestic Division judge (January 2026 court directory).

Career history beyond this directory listing has not yet been verified for this guide as of October 12, 2026.

Judicial record

Appointment or election history: Appointment and election dates have not yet been verified in this guide.
Bar evaluation: A current rating has not yet been verified. See the research note above.
Opinion example: No individual written-opinion example has yet been reviewed for this candidate.

Sources

Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Nonpartisan

Don Knapp

Background

Criminal Division judge (January 2026 court directory).

Career history beyond this directory listing has not yet been verified for this guide as of October 12, 2026.

Judicial record

Appointment or election history: Appointment and election dates have not yet been verified in this guide.
Bar evaluation: A current rating has not yet been verified. See the research note above.
Opinion example: No individual written-opinion example has yet been reviewed for this candidate.

Sources

Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Nonpartisan

Cylenthia LaToye Miller

Background

Criminal Division judge (January 2026 court directory).

Career history beyond this directory listing has not yet been verified for this guide as of October 12, 2026.

Judicial record

Appointment or election history: Appointment and election dates have not yet been verified in this guide.
Bar evaluation: A current rating has not yet been verified. See the research note above.
Opinion example: No individual written-opinion example has yet been reviewed for this candidate.

Sources

Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Nonpartisan

Carla G. Testani

Background

Family — Domestic Division judge (January 2026 court directory).

Career history beyond this directory listing has not yet been verified for this guide as of October 12, 2026.

Judicial record

Appointment or election history: Appointment and election dates have not yet been verified in this guide.
Bar evaluation: A current rating has not yet been verified. See the research note above.
Opinion example: No individual written-opinion example has yet been reviewed for this candidate.

Sources

Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Nonpartisan

Margaret M. Van Houten

Background

Criminal Division judge (January 2026 court directory).

Career history beyond this directory listing has not yet been verified for this guide as of October 12, 2026.

Judicial record

Appointment or election history: Appointment and election dates have not yet been verified in this guide.
Bar evaluation: A current rating has not yet been verified. See the research note above.
Opinion example: No individual written-opinion example has yet been reviewed for this candidate.

Sources

Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Nonpartisan

Shannon Nicol Walker

Background

Criminal Division judge (January 2026 court directory).

Career history beyond this directory listing has not yet been verified for this guide as of October 12, 2026.

Judicial record

Appointment or election history: Appointment and election dates have not yet been verified in this guide.
Bar evaluation: A current rating has not yet been verified. See the research note above.
Opinion example: No individual written-opinion example has yet been reviewed for this candidate.

Sources

Reviewed October 1, 2026.

Office and ballot references: Michigan · Judicial Branch, Ballotpedia · Wayne County municipal elections, 2026.

Source directory for this office

Local club endorsements

Published club choices, not GuruG recommendations or professional ratings. “Not listed” does not mean opposed.

Canton Democratic Club: Not listed in the reviewed guide.

Plymouth Canton Republicans Club: Not listed in the reviewed guide.

Club sources reviewed October 6, 2026; follow the linked source pages for updates.