FeedsDecision 2006
Judge seeks third term at court
Judge Ron Lowe said 12 years on the bench at the 35th District Court in Plymouth aren’t enough.
“I think that I have a strong role to play in the next six years at that court,” said Lowe, who was first elected in 1994 and won re-election in 2000.
This year, he faces two challengers, Plymouth attorney Brian Stacey and Northville attorney James Plakas. The two men who receive the most votes in the Aug. 8 primary will compete for the seat in November.
Lowe said experience will be important as the court faces rising costs and declining revenue. The court has traditionally been able to cover costs with ticket revenue from the municipalities it serves: Northville, Northville Township, Canton Township, Plymouth and Plymouth Township.
In 2005, the Canton caseload was larger than its contribution from citations and the township officials had to dip into the general fund to pay its share.
He said the trend is continuing—court costs are going up while ticket issuance is down—and the gap needs to be addressed.
“This is not a simple problem to fix,” he said.He said the public might not be aware of the administrative responsibilities of a judgeship. Lowe also helped the court through its toughest period after a fire that destroyed the courthouse in 1997.
“Compare it to an iceberg: The part people think of judges is the top of the iceberg.”
Lowe said his experience is valuable inside the courtroom setting, too.
Since 1994, he’s had to handle situations that pit neighbor against neighbor and community against resident.
“How do you please all of them? You can’t,” he said. “You cannot. You go back to applying the law to the facts and let the chips fall where they may.”
A graduate of Cooley Law School in 1982, Lowe was the Plymouth city attorney from 1984-1994. He’s also on the board of directors for the Michigan District Judge Association.
Lowe estimates he has presided over 40,000 cases.
“If you want to understand the role of a judge, then understand the role of a parent,” he said. “My father taught me all actions have consequences.”
Lowe brought that maxim closer to youth in the community with the implementation of the Teen Court program, under which youths 16 and under determine the sentence of one of their juvenile peers.
“It’s a positive use of peer influence—what we used to call peer pressure,” he said. He’s started a domestic violence prevention program at the court and helped guide the court when it took on juvenile cases, too.
He also goes into the classroom as part of a Practical Law curriculum at the Plymouth-Canton schools.He said making more people—teens and adults alike—familiar with the court has benefited the community.
“The judicial code of ethics states implicitly that part of being a judge is to educate the people about the law,” he said. “People who have been in court hold court in higher respect,” he said.
“Education leads to understanding; understanding leads to appreciation,” he added. “We can’t expect you to appreciate us without understanding what we do and why we do it.”
He invited prospective voters to educate themselves by observing him in the courtroom.
“I’m a known,” he said. “Come learn, watch and make your own calls.”
