By By JOHN EBY / Niles Daily Star
CASSOPOLIS – Fourth District Judge candidate Stacey A. Rentfrow, who appeared before the Cass County Board of Commissioners Thursday, offers herself in the Aug. 5 primary against former prosecutor and Assistant Attorney General Scott Teter of Edwardsburg and Edwardsburg defense attorney Dale Blunier as the "only candidate with experience on both sides of the bench."
Rentfrow's background includes Family Court referee, private practice attorney, trained mediator and citizen advocate with Legal Aid.
A lifelong Cass County resident, Rentfrow began her career with the Legal Aid Bureau of Southwestern Michigan, representing Cass County citizens in need.
"I believe I'm a great candidate based on that experience," she said.
As referee with Van Buren County Family Court, she dispatched decisions in as many as 100 hearings per week. She continues as an on-call mediator.
In private practice with the Laaksonen Law Office in Paw Paw, Rentfrow defends juveniles and adults in misdemeanor and felony cases and represents residents involving family law, real estate and other civil matters.
She was educated at Thomas Cooley Law School in Lansing.
Rentfrow has served almost 10 years on the board of Domestic and Sexual Abuse Services (DASAS), which serves Cass and St. Joseph counties from Three Rivers.
She served a term as president.
Her husband, Jaime Sumners, is an officer with the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians Tribal Police.
The couple live in Marcellus with their sons, Jack and Carson.
"What is important in a judge is that they issue fair and impartial decisions," Rentfrow stated.
"I'm the only candidate who has experience doing that. It's my position that you would hope to not have to come to court, but if you did, you would want a judge seated on the bench who has a diverse background. The other important characteristic in a judge is temperament.
"As a referee in a judicial position, I wanted to treat citizens who came before me with respect. You need to have the ability to collaborate, which is something I did as a referee – with agencies and with other people in Michigan doing your job so you're not reinventing the wheel, as well as talking to the sheriff, talking to dispatch, talking to the prosecutor, talking to the technology department about what's working well and what else is needed.
"What I'm not going to promise as a judicial candidate," she said, "is that I can do certain things.
"I believe it's important for me to get into the position and find out how programs are funded and whether there are grants out there."
With three candidates vying for the judgeship a primary will be held on Aug. 5. The runoff for the non-partisan position is on Nov. 4.
Incumbent Paul Deats of Edwardsburg, who has been on the bench since 1979, is retiring at the end of 2008.
District Judge candidates will be appearing together at Silver Creek Township Hall, 32764 Dixon St., at 7 p.m. Monday, June 16.