About us

Honorable Kathleen G. Galen
Judge Kathleen G. Galen graduated from the University of Detroit with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1986. She received her Juris Doctorate in 1989 from the University of Detroit School of Law.

Judge Galen was elected to the 38th District Court for the City of Eastpointe in November 2020 to serve a six-year term. She is the Chief Judge and presides over the following types of cases: civil suits involving up to $25,000; adult criminal misdemeanor offenses; felony preliminary examinations; setting bail in felony and misdemeanor cases; civil infractions; landlord / tenant disputes, small claims, ordinance and charter violations; and land contract forfeitures.

Judge Galen previously worked in private practice specializing in family law, criminal law, and general area’s of practice. She served as Assistant City Attorney for Warren.

Judge Galen is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Macomb County Bar Association and Michigan District Judges Association.
 

The 38th Judicial District Court is a limited jurisdiction court serving the city of Eastpointe. The Court has jurisdiction over criminal misdemeanors, civil cases in which the amount in dispute is $25,000 or less, parking violations, traffic violations, and other civil infractions, landlord-tenant disputes, and small claims matters. In addition, the Court has initial jurisdiction on criminal felony cases to determine probable cause.

Mission

The Mission Statement of the 38th Judicial District Court is to ensure the proper prompt and fair adjudication of all cases and to improve public confidence in the Courts through accessibility, communication, and education.

1.  Access to Justice
   
   • Access to Justice requires a trial court to eliminate unnecessary service barriers. Such barriers can be geographic, economic, and procedural. 
     

1. Expedition and Timeliness
   
   • Courts are entrusted with many duties and responsibilities that affect individuals and organizations involved with the judicial system, including litigants, jurors, attorneys, witnesses, criminal justice agencies, and social service agencies. 
     

1. Equality, Fairness, and Integrity​
   
   • These fundamental constitutional principles have particular significance for groups who may have suffered bias or prejudice based on race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, color, age, handicap, or political affiliation. 
     

1. Independence and Accountability
   
   • Independence and accountability permit government by law, access to justice, and the timely resolution of disputes with equality, fairness, and integrity; and they engender public trust and confidence. Courts must both control their proper functions and demonstrate respect for their coequal partners in government.
     

1. Public Trust and Confidence
   
   • Compliance with law depends, to some degree, on public respect for the court. Ideally, public trust and confidence in trial courts should stem from the direct experience of citizens with the courts.

The Court is served by one elected judge and one appointed magistrate. District Judges are elected on non-partisan ballots for terms of six years.   The Magistrate of the 38th District Court is the Honorable Mark Makoski. His duties include conducting arraignments, setting bail, conducting informal traffic hearings, search warrants, and performing marriages. The court has one Administrator/Clerk of the Court Michael McLoyd. The court is located on 9 Mile, a half block east of Gratiot in the city of Eastpointe. The court shares a building with the Police Department.
 

Administration: Responsible for administrative management of all non-judicial functions of the Court, including: personnel and fiscal management, juror coordination, case flow management, and other administrative areas. The Court Administrator and Clerk of the Court Michael McLoyd.

Misdemeanors/ Felony Division: Maintains records on all misdemeanor and felony offenses and is responsible for the processing, scheduling, and noticing of these cases.

Civil Infractions/ Parking Division: Maintains records on all traffic civil infractions and parking violations and is responsible for the processing, scheduling, and noticing of these cases.

Civil Division: Maintains records on general civil, landlord-tenant, and small claims cases and is responsible for the scheduling and processing of these cases. (Civil cases are all non-criminal and non-traffic matters.)

Probation Department: Responsible for the supervision, counseling, and referral of defendants placed on probation. The Probation Department also performs alcohol assessments and pre-sentence investigations.