Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed Robbie Gaines Jr., Robyn Liddell, and Rula Aoun to the 3rd Circuit Court in Wayne County, according to the governor's office.
Gaines, of Grosse Pointe, is a founding member of Gaines Law Firm, PLC. He previously served as a law clerk to Judge Leslie Kim Smith of the 3rd Circuit Court. Gaines serves on the Board of Directors of the Detroit Bar Association and as a Commissioner for the State Bar of Michigan. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from Wayne State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. His term will begin September 14, 2026, and expire January 1, 2029.
Liddell, of Westland, is Chief of the Criminal Trials Division at the Michigan Department of Attorney General, a position she has held since 2014. She is a past president of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Michigan and received the 2025 Lawyer's Weekly Outstanding Woman of the Year award. Liddell holds a Bachelor of Arts in African-American studies from Oberlin College and a Juris Doctor from Michigan State University College of Law. Her term will begin October 5, 2026, and expire January 1, 2029.
Aoun, of Dearborn, is a partner at Cochran, Kroll & Associates and serves as a Magistrate Judge at the 19th District Court in Dearborn. She is a board member and volunteer attorney at the American Arab Civil Rights League. Aoun holds a Bachelor of Arts in international affairs and French from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School. Her term will begin September 14, 2026, and expire January 1, 2029.