Judge Travis Reeds to Oversee 52nd District Court, Serving 34 Communities
(Oakland County, Dec. 14, 2023)
Pontiac, Mich. – Judge Travis Reeds will serve as the chief judge of 52nd District Court, which has four divisions covering 34 communities, beginning Jan. 1. Voters first elected him as judge of 52-1 District Court in Novi in 2014.
“This appointment by the Michigan Supreme Court to lead all four divisions of the 52nd District Court is both an honor and a welcome challenge,” Judge Reeds said. “Not only is it an opportunity to ensure the successful administration of the court, but also to serve the residents in our communities by making the court accessible and a beacon of hope and justice.”
Judge Reeds, who will become vice president of the Michigan District Judges Association (MDJA) on the same day he becomes chief judge, has contributed to revisions to the Michigan Judicial Institute’s Contempt of Court Benchbook and serves on the Court Rules and Criminal Forms Committees for the MDJA. He also participates in all 52nd District Court treatment courts, including the Mental Health Court, Sobriety Court, Drug Court, and Veterans Treatment Court.
Prior to his election to the 52-1 District Court, Judge Reeds practiced law with his father for about 17 years at the law firm of Reeds & Reeds in Walled Lake, handling a variety of cases from real estate and probate to family and criminal law.
He has lectured on various legal topics for the Oakland County Bar Association and has lectured and written extensively for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education. He is a former member of the Oakland County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and was a member of the ICLE Criminal Law Advisory Board. He has contributed to the ICLE as a Champion of Justice, including extensive work as the co-editor and co-author of Michigan Criminal Procedure and Michigan Drunk Driving Law and Practice. He is also on the advisory board and contributor to the Michigan Model Criminal Jury Instructions, Second Edition. In 2013 and 2014, he was named a Michigan Super Lawyer and was selected as one of the Top 100 National Trial Lawyers.
Judge Reeds graduated from Wayne State University Law School in 1997. He also has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Central Michigan University. He lives in Lyon Township with his wife Karen and two children.
Fifty-Second District Court serves the communities of Addison Township, Auburn Hills, Brandon Township, Clarkston, Clawson, Commerce Township, Groveland Township, Highland Township, Holly, Holly Township, Independence Township, Lake Angelus, Lake Orion, Leonard, Lyon Township, Milford, Milford Township, Novi, Novi Township, Oakland Township, Orion Township, Ortonville, Oxford, Oxford Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Rose Township, South Lyon, Springfield Township, Troy, Walled Lake, White Lake Township, Wixom, and Wolverine Lake.