Hon. Michael J. Klaeren

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<div class="infobox person"><div class="widget-row value-only ">Michael Klaeren</div>
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Michigan 12th District Court </div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;text-align:center;">Tenure</div>
<div style="text-align:center;">
<p> 2007 - Present
</p>
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<div style="font-weight: bold;text-align:center;">Term ends</div>
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<p> 2026
</p>
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<div style="font-weight: bold;text-align:center;">Years in position</div>
<div style="text-align:center;">
<p> 17
</p>
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<div style="text-align:center; font-size: 90%; font-style: italic;">
<p> <a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Help:Report_an_error">Report an officeholder change</a>
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<p> Education
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<div class="widget-key">Bachelor's</div>
<div class="widget-value">
<p> Kalamazoo College, 1977
</p>
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<div class="widget-key">Law</div>
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<p> University of Toledo, 1980
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<div style="float:right; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 0.4em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.8em; ;" class="toclimit-3"> <div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="display:none"><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr"><h2 id="mw-toc-heading">Contents</h2><span class="toctogglespan"><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox"></label></span></div>
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<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#Elections"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Elections</span></a>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2"><a href="#2014"><span class="tocnumber">1.1</span> <span class="toctext">2014</span></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><a href="#Education"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Education</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4"><a href="#Career"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Career</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5"><a href="#See_also"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="#External_links"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href="#Footnotes"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">Footnotes</span></a></li>
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<p><br>
<b>Michael Klaeren</b> is the chief judge pro tempore for the <a href="/Michigan_Twelfth_Judicial_District_Court" title="Michigan Twelfth Judicial District Court">12th District Court</a> in <a href="/Jackson_County,_Michigan_(Judicial)" title="Jackson County, Michigan (Judicial)">Jackson County</a>, <a href="/Michigan" title="Michigan">Michigan</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a></sup> He was appointed to the court by former Governor <a href="/Jennifer_Granholm" title="Jennifer Granholm">Jennifer Granholm</a> on July 19, 2007.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2">[2]</a></sup> Klaeren has served as chief judge since January 1, 2014.<sup id="cite_ref-bio_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bio-3">[3]</a></sup> Klaeren was re-elected in 2014 and 2020. His current term will expire on December 31, 2026.<sup id="cite_ref-candidate_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-candidate-4">[4]</a></sup>
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Elections">Elections</span></h2>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="2014">2014</span></h3>
<p><span class="see-also"><i>See also: <a href="/Michigan_judicial_elections,_2014" title="Michigan judicial elections, 2014">Michigan judicial elections, 2014</a></i></span><br>
Klaeren ran for re-election to the <a href="/Michigan_Twelfth_Judicial_District_Court" title="Michigan Twelfth Judicial District Court">12th District Court</a>.<br><b>General</b>: He was unopposed in the general election on November 4, 2014.
<sup id="cite_ref-candidate_4-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-candidate-4">[4]</a></sup>&nbsp;
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Education">Education</span></h2>
<p>Klaeren received his undergraduate degree from Kalamazoo College in 1977 and his <a href="/J.D." class="mw-redirect" title="J.D.">J.D.</a> degree from the University of Toledo College of Law in 1980.<sup id="cite_ref-bio_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bio-3">[3]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5">[5]</a></sup>
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Career">Career</span></h2>
<p>Before he became a judge, Klaeren worked as an attorney in private practice, specializing in worker's compensation defense.<sup id="cite_ref-bio_3-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bio-3">[3]</a></sup>
</p>
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<ul><li><a href="/Michigan_District_Courts" title="Michigan District Courts">Michigan District Courts</a></li>
<li><a href="/Jackson_County,_Michigan_(Judicial)" title="Jackson County, Michigan (Judicial)">Jackson County, Michigan</a></li>
<li><a href="/Judicial_selection_in_Michigan" title="Judicial selection in Michigan">Judicial selection in Michigan</a></li></ul>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="External_links">External links</span></h2>
<ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.co.jackson.mi.us/1475/Judges">12th Judicial District Court Judges</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://courts.mi.gov/Self-help/Directories/Pages/consolidated-directory.aspx?county=Jackson">Jackson County Directory</a></li></ul>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Footnotes">Footnotes</span></h2>
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<li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-1" aria-label="Jump up" title="Jump up">?</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.d12.com/county_courts/d12/judges/index.asp"><i>Jackson County, Michigan</i>, "Judges 12th District Court," accessed December 16, 2014</a></span>
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<li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-2" aria-label="Jump up" title="Jump up">?</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://mich.gov/granholm/0,1607,7-168-23442_21974-172344--,00.html"><i>Michigan.gov: Michigan's Former Governors</i>, "Governor Granholm Appoints Michael J. Klaeren Judge of 12th District Court," July 19, 2007</a></span>
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<li id="cite_note-bio-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">? ^{<a href="#cite_ref-bio_3-0"><span class="cite-accessibility-label">Jump up to: </span>3.0</a>} ^{<a href="#cite_ref-bio_3-1">3.1</a>} ^{<a href="#cite_ref-bio_3-2">3.2</a>}</span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2013/12/michael_klaeren_to_become_chie.html"><i>MLive.com</i>, "Michael Klaeren to become chief Jackson County District judge in January," December 25, 2013</a></span>
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<li id="cite_note-candidate-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">? ^{<a href="#cite_ref-candidate_4-0"><span class="cite-accessibility-label">Jump up to: </span>4.0</a>} ^{<a href="#cite_ref-candidate_4-1">4.1</a>}</span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/candlist/14PRI/14PRI_CL.HTM"><i>Michigan Secretary of State</i>, "2014 Official Michigan Primary Candidate Listing," accessed July 9, 2014</a></span>
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<li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-5" aria-label="Jump up" title="Jump up">?</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.martindale.com/Michael-J-Klaeren/722536-lawyer.htm"><i>Martindale.com</i>, "Judge Profile: Michael J. Klaeren," accessed December 16, 2014</a></span>
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