Charlene Elder

Charlene M. Elder was appointed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm in December 2005 to serve as a judge for the Wayne County 3rd Circuit Court. She currently sits in the Family Division of the court, handling a variety of domestic relations cases involving divorce, child custody and personal protection matters.

Charlene is one of three judges who helped initiate the Domestic Violence Prevention Court, designed to offer a wide range of services to victims of domestic violence who obtain personal protection orders against their perpetrators.

Prior to her appointment, Charlene served as a judicial magistrate in the 19th District Court. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in Dearborn, and her juris doctor degree from the Detroit College of Law.

In addition to having served on several boards throughout her career, she was named Judge of the Year by Moms and Dads of Michigan in 2009. She currently serves on the board of ACCESS.