Diane D'Agostini vies for a fourth term on the bench

By Lisa Cipriano

The 48th District Court judge faces one opponent in the upcoming elections

Judge Diane D'Agostini

On November 7, voters under the jurisdiction of the 48th District Court will be asked whether or not to re-elect Judge Di­ane D’Agostini to a fourth term on the bench.

The 48th District Court cov­ers seven, high Chaldean population communities: Birmingham, Bloom­field Township, Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Keego Harbor, Orchard Lake and Sylvan Lake.

D’Agostini was first elected to the bench in 2000. She was re-elected in 2006 and again in 2012. Now, she is hoping for another victory to continue her work into the next decade.

Prior to first being elected as Dis­trict Judge by winning all 84 precincts in the district, D’Agostini served nine years as an assistant prosecutor in Oak­land County.

 D’Agostini earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in journalism from Wayne State University before setting her sights on law school. She graduated cum laude from the Detroit College of Law, which is currently known as Michigan State University, College of law.

Since 2000, Judge D’Agostini has presided over thousands of criminal, civil, probation and traffic cases.

D’Agostini says that her time on the bench can be defined by keeping her promise to keep the community safe. But, her passions are being proactive with her district’s youth about drug and alcohol addiction in an effort to keep them out of the criminal justice system as well as ordering treatment for those who already have fallen into that trap.

“I have been blessed to serve in a position that allows me to make decisions that protect the safety of our families, businesses and neighborhoods, while I continue my part­nerships with the local schools in educating our kids about the law and drug prevention,” said D’Agostini. “I am up­lifted by the many people who have successfully completed drug and alcohol treatment while on probation and am grateful to be a part of their recovery from addiction. While there are days that are very heavy and difficult, there are many examples of people who transform their lives despite their tough circumstances and it’s a privilege to be a part of it. These are the reasons why I seek reelection.”

Judge D’Agostini, a Chaldean, is thankful for the com­munity’s support in helping her continue her important work and strives to be a role model for young Chaldeans.

“My district covers seven communities with quite a large Chaldean population. I am extremely involved in speaking publically and educating the community at forums, career days and internships. Schools with large Chaldean populations have called on me to speak to the kids, help out when there are issues, be a role model and send a positive message,” D’Agostini said.

D’Agostini has one opponent this time around: Bloom­field Hills’ criminal defense attorney Amy Wechsler. She has been practicing law for 18 years. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at University of Michigan-Dearborn and her law degree at the University Of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Before going into private practice, Wechsler interned at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, assisting in pros­ecuting misdemeanors at the 36th District Court, and han­dling arraignments at Frank Murphy Hall of Justice.