Judge Bill Richards is the newest Judge of the 46th District Court. Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed him to the bench in 2007 to succeed Judge Stephen Cooper. Judge Richards is a longtime local resident with a distinguished career in government, teaching, and private practice. As Senior Policy Advisor for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, he was responsible for environmental policy and legal issues. He is the former Deputy Attorney General, the principal deputy to Attorney General Jennifer Granholm (1999-2002), and former Assistant U.S. Attorney (1989-1998), where he prosecuted public corruption and drug crimes. In the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he served as ethics officer for nine years. Earlier, he was a staff attorney in the Federal Defender Office and law clerk to U.S. District Judge Cornelia Kennedy.
Judge Richards teaches advanced criminal procedure at Cooley Law School. He is the former President of Oakland-Livingston Legal Aid, where he helped provide free legal aid to the poor and seniors. Judge Richards is a member of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Task Force, a Judge in the National Black Law Students Association Annual Moot Court competition, and a mentor in the Volunteers in Prevention – VIP – program for youth. He is a volunteer fundraiser for the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and serves on the Board for the Southfield Centers for Youth, Inc. He is a member of First Congregational Church.
In 2010, voters elected Judge Richards to continue to serve on the 46th District Court.
Bill Richards earned both his bachelor’s degree and his law degree from the University of Michigan. Judge Richards and his wife Joan have been married for 39 years, and have two daughters, Jennifer and Kristin.
Staff
Honorable Bill Richards
Wanda Frost, Judicial Clerk
Jackie Willis, Court Officer
Contact Numbers
Main Number: (248)796-5830