DEARBORN —  Judge Mark Somers of the 19th District Court has been on the bench for over nine years, but now the longtime city resident is preparing to make a run for Wayne County’s Third Circuit Court in the 2012 election. 

Judge Mark Somers

Somers said he came to the decision over the holiday break at the end of 2011 after talking it over with family, and he has begun collecting signatures in order to secure a spot on the ballot.  

“My friends and supporters have been uniformly excited about the possibility of my Circuit Court run,” Somers said. 

“I’m definitely seeking a higher office but at the same time it’s one that still serves the residents of the City of Dearborn so I’m not giving up a chance to serve the community I live in, and it’s also a chance to serve a broader community.” 

Somers also realized that he may have the opportunity of a lifetime this year in making a run at the position, which will be based at one of three sites in downtown Detroit, because of the unique amount of openings that may be available. Three judges are retiring meaning that as many as three spots could be open depending on whether or not an additional one is appointed. 

He must collect 4,000 signatures by May 1 in order to appear on the November ballot; the number was previously 4,200 before Census population data changed the requirement, dropping it by 200. 

Friends and supporters are already busy collecting signatures in Dearborn and other metro Detroit cities. 

Somers will not have to give up his current post in order to run, and if he wins, his replacement will be appointed by Governor Rick Snyder through an application process. The judge touted his experience as a selling point in the race.

“The fact that I’ve been on the bench for over nine years at this point and handled over 100 jury trials and I don’t know how many bench trials…Along with close to 3,000 criminal cases on a year on average, including a felony exam this year (are among his qualifications),” he said. 

“I have a broad range of experience and I’ve practiced law privately for over 19 years; I have the perspective of a practitioner and jurist to the bench so those things in combination are a huge plus.” 

Somers expects a competitive race considering the opportunity at hand. His campaign could face a challenge in the form of fallout from three lawsuits filed on the basis of wrongful termination against him, including two that have already been decided in favor of the plaintiffs. Former 19th District Court Deputy Administrator Julie Pucci was awarded $1.2 million in December including over $400,000 in attorney’s fees, although Somers has asked for an appeal from the Michigan Attorney General’s office. 

In response to the suits, Somers told the Detroit Free Press this summer that he “acted with integrity, not self-interest.” He said this week that he chooses to look forward and remains committed to serving. 

As far as his upcoming campaign for the Third Circuit Court, Somers is upbeat and eager for the opportunity to take his career to the next level. 

He calls himself a problem solver as opposed to someone “merely passing people through the system,” citing his work in overseeing the Drug Treatment Court since February 2005 as an example of his philosophy of focusing on the roots of the problems faced by those affected in the court system. 

“Whatever branch of the court you’re in, you’re looking at using it as a social institution to try to figure out why people are there, why things happened the way they have and how to address them.”