UPDATE: MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The 30th Judicial Circuit Court's mission is to do justice in Ingham County.

This court is made up of two separate divisions, the Family Division and the General Trial Division.

Honorable Judge Draganchuk explained, "A General Trail Division Judge will preside over criminal and civil cases and the family division deals with juvenile delinquency cases, child abuse and neglect cases and other family type matters."

As a General Trial Judge, Judge Draganchuk has many responsibilities throughout the day.

"A daily routine is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. We are all scheduled for trials. There's a civil docket and that lasts for four weeks and it's followed by a criminal docket which lasts for five weeks. So of those hundreds of cases that I described, that are on the docket, we will be trying one of those at a time during our civil docket or our criminal docket" said Judge Draganchuk.

Now after 20 years on the bench, a different judge has decided not to seek re-election this time around.

Judge Draganchuk said, "She does have some administrative responsibilities, she will basically oversee any issues that we all have in common as General Trial Division Judges, be that an issue regarding administration or some recurring issue with respect to our cases, but she does have the additional responsibility."

At the Veteran's Memorial Courthouse, Honorable Judge Paula Manderfield, is the presiding judge in the General Trial Division.

I talked to Judge Draganchuk about her stepping down from her position and what this means for the community.

"They'll be missing a judge who's willing to go out into the community and have that kind of interaction with the people and that's a wonderful thing that she has done. I'm quite certain that she'll carry that on even after she goes into retirement so-to-speak" said Judge Draganchuk



ORIGINAL STORY: MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The 30th Judicial Circuit Court will be experiencing some changes this election season. I met with Honorable Judge Draganchuk about a different judge who is stepping down after 20 years on the bench.