With one year left in his term on the bench, Sanilac County Circuit Court Judge Donald Teeple has announced that he will not be seeking reelection, as he has aged out of the process. State law prevents those aged 70 and older from running for judge. Judge Teeple was elected in 1990 and when his term runs out at the end of 2020, he will have put in 30 years as a judge in the 24th District Circuit Court. Judge Teeple was admitted to the bar in 1974 after graduating from the University of Michigan and University of Detroit School of Law. He has been involved in a range of high-profile cases over his tenure from those involving wind energy and the multitude of windmills throughout the county, local government and school district conflicts, and a record $4.4 million award for a wrongful death case against the Michigan State Police. The men behind the Oklahoma City bombing appeared in Judge Teeple’s courtroom in 1993. Judge Teeple is a lifelong Sanilac County resident and has plans to assist as a visiting judge as needed. Applicants have until mid-April to file to run for the open seat on the bench. The Sanilac County Circuit Court hears civil and criminal cases. It also houses a family division and hears appeals from other courts.
