BY ART BUKOWSKI
abukowski@record-eagle.com
SUTTONS BAY — Five local attorneys with diverse backgrounds will vie for Leelanau County's long-vacant probate judge position.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm failed to appoint someone to fill the spot after Judge Joseph Deegan's unexpected death in July 2009, and after months without a decision, she instead opted to leave the choice to voters.
Sara W. Brubaker, Joseph T. Hubbell, Marian F. Kromkowski, Michael J. Long and Larry J. Nelson want the spot. The two with the most votes in the August primary will compete in November's general election, and the elected judge will serve a partial two-year term to complete Deegan's term.
Kromkowski, who lives and runs a law practice in Suttons Bay, also serves on contract as a part-time domestic relations referee for 28th Circuit Court in Wexford and Missaukee counties.
She handles family mediation and criminal appeals at her practice, and said she's attracted to the probate position because of its importance in serving "vulnerable" families.
If elected, she'd like to make sure all persons who appear before the court have effective representation, something she said doesn't always happen.
It's important that "they understand what's expected of them, and what's expected of the court ... so that we can make the best decisions for these families," she said.
Hubbell was elected in 2004 and again in 2008 as Leelanau's prosecutor, a position he currently holds. He's seen both sides of the legal system, and is drawn to the probate judge spot in part because he believes it can help keep kids out of criminal trouble later in life.
"If you're successful in dealing with young people who are getting in trouble ... you can prevent them from entering into the adult system," he said.
A new prosecutor would have to be appointed if Hubbell wins, since he's in the middle of a four-year term. He said he enjoys being prosecutor, so he's in a "win-win" situation.
Nelson, a Leland attorney who's practiced law in the county for years and once served as prosecutor, said he's ready to be probate judge. He's dealt with a broad range of issues at his general practice firm, he said, and wants to make an impact in a new position.
"I believe the probate court is the most important court in our judicial system," he said.
Nelson said Deegan ran a good court, though he'd like to "expand and enhance" the court's volunteer system.
Long, a Suttons Bay native and former police officer, works for the Traverse City firm of Zimmerman, Kuhn, Darling, Boyd, Quandt & Phelps.
He does plenty of abuse and neglect, family law and other probate-related cases for Zimmerman Kuhn, and he wants the probate spot because it can improve the lives of a large swath of people.
"The reason I think this position is terribly important is it really is directed at family ... it does affect the entire population of the county," he said.
Long would like to reach out to school children and try to get them more involved in and educated about the legal process.
Brubaker worked for about five years as tribal prosecutor for the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians; her contract was not renewed this year. Before that she was Leelanau County prosecutor for one term.
She's dealt with a host of probate-related issues, she said, both in her prosecutor positions and as occupational therapist.
"I really feel my experience is the most complete, the most appropriate and the best for the job," she said.
And her prosecutor terms have made her familiar with numerous people in the county, she said.
"I could walk in and know those families who would come before me, and hit the ground running, so to speak," she said.
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