Appeals candidate visits county

By Audrey LaFave - alafave@dailypress.net

ESCANABA - Paula Manderfield, current Circuit Court Judge for downstate Ingham County, visited the area Monday to discuss her campaign for a seat on the Michigan Court of Appeals, District 4.

District 4 includes 58 counties, including 15 in the Upper Peninsula.

Manderfield is a U.P. native. She graduated from Houghton High School and received an associate's degree in nursing from Michigan Technological University. She then moved to the Lansing area to continue her nursing career and received a bachelor of science in nursing from Michigan State University.

"During that time I was working as an R.N. (registered nurse), so I worked my way through MSU and law school as a nurse and with student loans," said Manderfield, who graduated from Cooley Law School in Lansing in 1982.

After law school, Manderfield spent 10 years as an attorney in private practice, where she dealt with workers' compensation, criminal defense, civil litigation and domestic relations.

She then served as the Lansing City District Court Judge for eight years before becoming a circuit court judge eight years ago.

Manderfield said she is the only "yooper," only woman and only nurse running for the seat. She is also the only candidate with judicial experience. She said these areas give her a unique perspective in this race.

"I believe I'm the only candidate that has substantial criminal law experience... Over half of what I do in the trial court is handling criminal cases," said Manderfield. "That's a very important area that I take seriously because it's about protection of the community.

"I've tried murder cases, armed robbery, criminal sexual conduct ... and those cases, after a conviction, routinely land in the court of appeals. All together I have 25 years experience (in the legal arena)."

Manderfield lives in Lansing with her husband, David Gilstrap, who is on the faculty at MSU, and their three children, Madeline, 11 and twins Katy and Herry, 9. She also has an adult son who is married with two children. Manderfield, her husband and her three youngest children started their trip to the U.P. Saturday.

"I was visiting family and having a few days for R&R with my kids at our camp on Sandy Lake in Houghton County," said Manderfield. "I have nine siblings that live in Houghton County. I'm eighth in a family of 12."

Manderfield or a family member or a friend participated in many U.P. Fourth of July parades, including Gladstone, Marquette, Munising, Gwinn, Curtis, Houghton, Ishpeming and Bessemer.

"I am really impressed at the number of people who showed up for the parades. Gladstone was just huge. It was a very nice parade," said Manderfield. "I've always done parades campaigning. It's a good way to get out there and I really believe voters like to see candidates out there working."

For more information visit Manderfield's Web site at www.promotejudgemanderfield.com.