Alumnus Eugene Hunt appointed Chief Judge of Dearborn
At the beginning of 2019, the Michigan Supreme Court appointed Judge Eugene “Gene” Hunt as the Chief Judge of Dearborn.
“I take seriously the faith the Michigan Supreme Court has placed in me by their appointment,” said Hunt. “It is an honor to serve the city that I was raised in. In this new position, I will oversee the services provided by our court. I remain committed to helping people navigate the court system.”
Hunt replaced Judge Sam Salamey. As Chief Judge, Hunt serves as the presiding officer of the court and has administrative superintending power and control over the judges and all court personnel. His responsibilities include caseload management and disposition of judicial workloads, supervision, finances, and other critical functions.
Hunt’s first month as Chief Judge was pretty quiet, and he’s enjoyed the peace, but expects things to get very busy very soon.
“I’ve implemented a casual day each Friday for the court staff, made decisions regarding the closure of the court due to weather conditions, and dealt with a few other issues,” said Hunt.
He has a vision for the 19th District Court in Dearborn – the second largest district court in Wayne County – where he presides.
“I want the court to get more involved with community organizations and coordinate our efforts to solve some of the problems we face, the most pressing of which is the opioid epidemic I see almost daily,” said Hunt.
A love affair with Dearborn
Born in Carthage, TN, Hunt moved to Detroit with his family when he was 3 months old. His family moved to Dearborn, where he attended Woodworth Middle School and Fordson High School. After graduating from Fordson in 1973, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps (USMC).
During his time in the Corps, Hunt was in the military police and stationed in Brunswick, MN. Serving two years, he rose to the rank of lance corporal and was honorably discharged. After his time in the USMC, Hunt attended HFC, where he completed coursework in general studies.
He transferred to the University of Michigan Dearborn (UM-Dearborn) and earned his undergraduate degree in English in 1982. From there, he earned his juris doctor in law from Wayne State University Law School in 1985. He also completed coursework at California Western University School of Law in San Diego.
Hunt has been a practicing attorney for more than 32 years and spent his entire legal career in Dearborn. He had the criminal defense contract in Dearborn for 20 years, where he was the court-appointed public defender representing indigent defendants.
“I have a love affair with Dearborn,” said Hunt. “It is a big small town where there are a lot of residents involved in the community. I am glad I am a part of it.”
Establishing the Veterans Court
After 20 years of being Dearborn’s court-appointed attorney, Hunt was elected to the 19th District Court Nov. 8, 2016.
Last year he established the Veterans Court in Dearborn, a specialty court of the 19th District Court, which helps veterans get their lives back together. Its purpose is keep veterans with mental health or substance abuse problems out of the traditional criminal justice system by giving them treatment and other rehabilitation tools. He stated that being Chief Judge will have no effect on his presiding over the Veterans Court.
“The Veterans Court is a complete success so far,” said Hunt. “We have six veterans active and four others being considered. They are all doing well and receiving the services they need.”
“The best part of being Chief Judge is I have the chance to implement my ideas to make the court a better place to work and do business,” said Hunt. “It’s an extremely rewarding job, because you get to help so many people. When you’re a lawyer, you get to argue your position. When you’re a judge, you get to hear those arguments and make the decision as to what you think is the right thing to do.”