By WKTV Staff
In conjunction with National Judicial Outreach Week, the City of Kentwood’s 62-B District Court has announced that residents are invited to meet Judge Amanda Sterkenburg and learn more about the court during a hybrid public/online event Wednesday, March 2.
National Judicial Outreach Week was created in 2017 by the American Bar Association to encourage judges to invite community members to their courthouses to meet with them, share information about the rule of law and talk about the work courts do every day. Every year, it is held March 1-10 and features a “Preserving the Rule of Law” theme.
The 62-B District Court will host its event inside the courtroom at the Kentwood Justice Center, 4740 Walma Ave. SE, and online via Zoom from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
During the event, Judge Sterkenburg will give a presentation on the importance of the judiciary and how the court preserves the rule of law. Community members will have the opportunity to ask questions and offer suggestions on how the court can better serve the community.
“National Judicial Outreach Week is a perfect opportunity for the court to foster a greater understanding of our role in government,” Sterkenburg said in supplied material. “We are looking forward to hosting our first-ever judicial outreach event at the 62-B District Court in that spirit and to connect with our community.”
Community members are asked to RSVP for the event online or by calling 616-554-0715.
To help slow the spread of COVID-19, in-person attendance will be limited to the first 40 who register, and face coverings will be required for all regardless of vaccination status.
The event will also be available via Zoom. Virtual participation information will be emailed to registrants prior to the event. Attendees who require interpreter services or other accommodations are asked to contact the court at 616-554-0715 by Friday, Feb. 25.
Sterkenburg began presiding over the 62-B District Court in January 2021, for a six-year term. In her prior practice as a solo attorney, she represented criminal and civil defendants, landlords, tenants and litigants with many different types of claims. Her experience includes successful jury trials on assault, theft and retail fraud offenses. She has more than 90 hours of mediation training and has handled matters in many local circuit and district courts, including the 62-B District Court.
The 62-B District Court, according to the announcement, “strives to earn the public’s trust and confidence by providing a fair and just forum for the resolution of civil and criminal disputes, providing services in a professional, timely and efficient manner with respect and courtesy, educating and providing services in an understandable and user-friendly fashion, being accountable for the resources invested in the court and recognizing the changing needs of the judicial system and the people it serves.”
For more information contact Court Administrator Michele White at 616-554-0715 or whitem@kentwood.us.
