It’s interesting that two judges seeking promotion to Macomb County Circuit Court took over their current posts from judges with tainted tenures. However, their election campaigns couldn’t have been more different.

In November 2008, Carl Gerds won the 39^th District Court seat in Eastpointe from lightning rod Norene Redmond. Redmond earlier that year was censured by the state Supreme Court for 19 violations for three cases involving four defendants in 2005 and 2006. She also had multiple public feuds with the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office and Eastpointe police chief. Gerds scrapped to defeat four other challengers in the August primary to face Redmond in November. The veteran attorney and former city councilman capitalized on a long-established stellar reputation beat the feisty incumbent in a fairly close race.

On the other hand, in fall 2002, Jennifer Faunce ran unopposed in winning the 37^th District Court seat previously held by Susan Chrzanowski, who didn’t run for re-election following her suspension related to her affair with then-attorney Michael Fletcher. Fletcher was convicted in 2000 of killing his wife, Leann. Chrzanowski assigned 50 cases to Fletcher and misled police, for which she was suspended for 23 months -- 17 months paid and six months unpaid -- before she returned to the bench in July 2002 to serve her final six months.

No one tried to challenge Faunce, a young GOP state representative at the time. Her name certainly gave her a boost because her dad, Sherman, served as visiting judge in Chrzanowski’s absence.