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Tom Power

Tom Power started thinking about being a judge when he spent a summer as a volunteer court clerk.  “I came to appreciate the efforts made to help people resolve their disputes,” he says.  Today, Tom is a judge for the Michigan 13th Circuit Court—a job he’s held for 21 years.

“Most cases—over 90 percent—are resolved without a trial,” he says.  “With mediation, the settlements are better because people get results they’re satisfied with.”  Of course, it’s not as dramatic as television.  Tom shakes his head.  “DNA results don’t come back in a two-minute commercial break,” he says.  “And fingerprints are rarely found.”

But in the midst of many challenges, Tom stays remarkably upbeat.  “Even among people who commit felony crimes, many become productive citizens,” he says.  “They are coming back to the community, so we want to help them be successful.”

“What I spend the most time on is sentencing—because there’s no effective appeal.  Most of the people I sentence have substance abuse problems.   Most are young.  If we can get them dried out, maybe they can realize, for example, “Hey, I have two kids and I’m not a part of their lives.’ 

“These are save-able.”