Member Spotlight
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Mark A. Randon
United States Magistrate Judge
Mark A. Randon was sworn in as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan in July of 2009. He was one of five persons nominated by a Court Merit Selection Panel from among 64 applicants and then selected by a vote of the judges of the District Court. As a Magistrate Judge, Randon conducts preliminary proceedings in civil and criminal cases, trial and disposition of misdemeanor cases, settlement conferences, and the trial and disposition of civil cases upon the consent of the parties. He is the only African-American United States Magistrate Judge and the only non-senior African-American male federal judge in the Eastern District of Michigan.
Immediately prior to becoming a United States Magistrate Judge, Randon served for eight years
as a Judge of the 36th District Court in Detroit - one of the largest and busiest district courts in
the nation. In this position, he presided over a wide variety of civil and criminal cases that occur
in the City of Detroit. Appointed by the Governor in 2001 at age 32, Magistrate Judge Randon
holds the distinction of being the youngest judge elected or appointed to the bench in Michigan
since the constitutional requirements were changed in 1996. In 2002 and 2008, the citizens of
Detroit elected him to six year terms. Magistrate Judge Randon has also worked as a labor and
employment attorney for Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn; Miller Canfield Paddock and
Stone; UT Automotive (now Lear Corporation); and the Detroit Board of Education. He is a
member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Federal Bar Association and the Association of Black
Judges of Michigan.
Magistrate Judge Randon has authored several articles that have appeared in newspapers and legal journals. Most notably, his article on preliminary examinations was cited favorably by the Michigan Supreme Court in People v. Culane, 474 Mich. 874 (2005), and his article on the confrontation clause was quoted in the Michigan Judicial Institute’s Circuit Court Benchbook. He has received many awards for his community service, including Crain’s Detroit Business “40 under 40.” In 2005, he established an educational program for young offenders through Wayne County Community College.
Magistrate Judge Randon graduated from Cass Technical High School at age 16, Michigan State University at 20, and was among the youngest graduates to receive a law degree from the University of Michigan in 1992. A naturalized U. S. citizen, he was born in England and raised in a single-parent household in Detroit. He has been married for 14 years to Dr. Lisa Marie Randon and together they have three children.
