To: Dale K. Weighill, Governmental Operations Committee Chairperson
From: Barbara A. Menear, Circuit Court Administrator
title
RE: Approval to accept the recommendation of the Circuit Court Judges for the reappointments of Henry Hatter as the Republican representative and Karen Aldridge-Eason as the Democrat representative to the Genesee County Jury Board for a six (6) year term commencing January 22, 2026
recommendation
BOARD ACTION REQUESTED:
Accept the recommendation of the Circuit Court Judges that Henry Hatter and Karen Aldridge-Eason be appointed to the Jury Board for a 6-year term commencing January 22, 2026.
BACKGROUND:
Pursuant to MCL 600.1301, Genesee County is required to establish a 3 member jury board, whose members serve 6 year terms, with no more than two of whom shall be members of the same political party. The Circuit Court Judges recommend and the County Board appoints.
DISCUSSION:
Henry Hatter (R) has been a jury board member since 2006 and is requesting to be re-appointed. Karen Aldridge-Eason (D) has been a jury board member since 2017 and is requesting to be re-appointed. The positions serve without compensation. Duties include attending an annual meeting to review jury activity from the year prior. It is not time consuming but is statutorily required and establishes a community connection for jury management activities
IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCES:
None
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
None
IMPACT ON FACILITIES:
None
IMPACT ON TECHNOLOGY:
None
CONFORMITY TO COUNTY PRIORITIES:
mandated appointments for county jury operations
resolution
TO THE HONORABLE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE GENESEE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
WHEREAS, the Genesee County Board of County Commissioners (“this Board”) is authorized to appoint members to the Genesee County Jury Board, upon recommendation of the Genesee County 7th Circuit Court Judges, when an appointment term ends or a vacancy occurs; and
WHEREAS, the Genesee County Circuit Court Judges have recommended that this Board re-appoint Republican Henry Hatter and Democrat Karen Aldridge-Eason as members of the Jury Board.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that this Board hereby re-appoints, at the recommendation of the Circuit Court Judges, Republican Henry Hatter and Democrat Karen Aldridge-Eason to be members of the Genesee County Jury Board for six-year terms commencing January 22, 2026, having found that they satisfy the requirements set by this Board’s Appointment Policy (Policy 01.002) and any relevant statutory authority (a copy of the memorandum request being on file with the official records of the December 3, 2025 meeting of the Governmental Operations Committee of this Board).
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the appointees are subject to removal by this Board pursuant to the Appointment Policy (Policy 01.002) and any relevant statutory authority.