OFFICIALS GATHERED AT the Marquette County Courthouse on Friday to recognize the reinstatement of a judge’s post in the 25th Circuit Court. From left are state Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Waucedah), Marquette County 25th Circuit Court Judge Jennifer A. Mazzuchi, state Rep. Sara Cambensy (D-Marquette) and state Sen. Wayne Schmidt (R-Traverse City). (Katie Segula/Mining Journal photo)

MARQUETTE — Marquette County is getting back a second judge for its 25th Circuit Court.

State Rep. Sara Cambensy, D-Marquette, gathered Friday in the county’s courthouse with Marquette County and state officials to recognize passage of House Bill 4656 that brings back the once-eliminated judge’s post.

According to a previous Mining Journal article, Cambensy introduced the bill in June to restore a second judgeship to the 25th Circuit Court in Marquette County, which has had only one judge since the second position was cut in 2017.

Along with Cambensy, others at the gathering included state Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City; state Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township; current 25th Circuit Judge Jennifer A. Mazzuchi; Marquette County Sheriff Greg Zyburt; Marquette County Administrator Scott Erbisch; Marquette County Public Defender Patrick Crowley; and Marquette County Commissioners Bill Nordeen, Karen Alholm, John DePetro and Gerald Corkin, who is county board chair.

All emphasized the teamwork needed to get the bill passed.

“The important part is that the U.P. delegation really works well together,” Schmidt told The Mining Journal.

“I have served under three different governors now … and the key is when northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula need to get something done, we work together.

“So when Cambensy needed help getting her bill out of the House and over to the Senate … recognizing the need for the judgeship up here in Marquette County and through the Upper Peninsula, then it became part of my responsibility working along with Senator McBroom to get it done and shepherd it through that process.

“Working with her and her team got the bill done and got it to the governor’s desk so what is good for Marquette is good for the eastern end of the U.P. What is good for Northern lower is generally good for the Upper Peninsula.”

According to Cambensy, the last time judgeship seats were added to Marquette County was in the 1970s. Since then, there has been judgeship cuts throughout all of Michigan, including Marquette County.

“We are kind of pioneers in asking for a seat back,” Cambensy said, “but we have the case numbers to show why we need it.”

Cambensy added, “Marquette County sees 25% of all of the court cases of the U.P. and this is a very busy court and the position probably should not have been cut in the first place but when we were going through budget cuts it was one of the courts that lost a judge, so to bring this back we will see everything expedited much quicker. Our jails wont be backlogged and certainly our judges can get the help to people they need much quicker.”

The second 25th Circuit Court judge will be chosen by election, with the filing deadline in April and the primary elections in August. The general election will be in November 2022.