WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
St. Joseph County was one of several counties in the state Friday to stage a program marking the 50th anniversary of Michigan’s district court system.
In Centreville, current and former judges, staff, members of the bar and courthouse personnel were present in District Court Judge Jeff Middleton’s courtroom to recognize the milestone and share memories of the early days.
Middleton noted that prior to the creation of St. Joseph County’s district court, justice was dispensed by justices of the peace, village and city attorneys and municipal judges. David Recher, the court’s first administrator, said it was difficult to appreciate the court’s value without having experienced the “antiquated apparatus” of the previous system.
Changes over Judge William Welty’s tenure, which started in 1991, included beginning a video courtroom and increasing courthouse security through metal detectors, and more changes have occurred in the six years since he retired and Robert Pattison stepped into the role.
