LANSING — Gov. Rick Snyder announced the appointment of Christopher Ninomiya as a 41st Circuit Court judge for Dickinson, Iron, and Menominee counties. Ninomiya, who has served as 95-B District Court judge in Dickinson County since 2009, fills a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Richard Celello. Ninomiya must seek election in November 2018 to fill the remainder of the current term, which expires in 2020. Prior to serving as a judge, Ninomiya started as an assistant prosecuting attorney for the Dickinson County Prosecutor’s Office in 1993 and was promoted to chief assistant prosecutor within six months. He was elected prosecutor in 2000. “Judge Ninomiya has served his community with distinction as a jurist and prosecutor,” Snyder said. “He has developed an admirable record of public service, which is highlighted by his commitment to improving our judicial system through innovative approaches that develop just and productive outcomes inside and outside of the courtroom.” In addition to being a member of the Michigan Bar Association, the Michigan District Judge’s Association, the Michigan State Bar Judicial Ethics Committee, and the Dickinson-Iron Bar Association, Ninomiya belongs to the Michigan Association of Treatment Court Professionals, the Western Upper Peninsula Community Corrections Advisory Board and many other community organizations. He also is a board member and secretary of the Upper Peninsula Judge’s Association. Ninomiya earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University in 1990 and his law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 1993.
(Aaron Harper,WJNR,WOBE,WHTO)
aaronharper22@gmail.com