DEBRA'S CAMPAIGN PLATFORM

Debra Lux-Roland, Chief Attorney and Chief Administrator at the      Macomb County Probate Court Mental Division will be on the

November 2008 Ballot as a candidate for the office of

Macomb County Probate Court Judge.

At present, she will be running against the incumbent, Judge Kathryn A. George whose first term expires this year on December 31, 2008. Attorney Lux-Roland may be new to the political arena but she is not new to the practice of law.

Lux-Roland believes that voters put a trust in you when they vote you into office. That trust should not be broken and if it is then that individual should be removed from the bench. It is Ms. Lux-Roland's belief and opinion that Judge George has operated over the last five years far below the quality owed to the Macomb County residents. Looking at the way things were operating in the courtroom, in the court corridors, and behind closed doors, Ms. Lux-Roland, in good conscience, could not sit idly by and do nothing. She "threw her hat into the political ring" because she believes she truly can make a difference for the better in Macomb County as the next Probate Court judge.

A probate judge has a significant impact on the lives of the most vulnerable people in our community: legally incapacitated and developmentally disabled adults, minor children, mentally ill individuals and their families. Ms. Lux-Roland's legal experience, positive attributes and qualities would greatly benefit these individuals, their families, and the public.

~ Bring over 24 years of legal experience to the bench.

~ Seek the swift administration of justice by stopping unnecessary delays and unnecessary adjournments that are a terrible inconvenience and cost to the court, attorneys, and litigants.

~ Give the public FULL TIME hours and a FULL TIME commitment to the job and won't treat the job as merely a part-time position, as has been the incumbent's philosophy. Given the county's current budget concerns and today's economy, a judge should be held accountable for their time while being paid with taxpayer dollars.

~ Not show nepotism amongst the attorneys or others coming before her on case matters.

~ Bring her strong work ethic to the position, will be prepared for the cases before the court and will listen to all sides before rendering a decision.

~ End the abhorrent length of time some cases have remained unresolved and outstanding year after year through better docket control and case management.

~ Save the county funds by not taking excessive absences, unearned vacation time, lengthy lunch hours, or any other time off not earned, all at the taxpayer’s expense.

~ Continue better training efforts for the court appointed attorneys and Guardian ad Litems who practice in the probate field. Ms. Lux-Roland was primarily responsible for the preparation and compilation of the training manuals utilized over the last several years to train the attorneys in the mental health and developmentally disabled areas of the law.

~ Strive for a better working relationship between the court, Community Mental Health, the hospitals, and the various agencies that serve the developmentally disabled, the mentally ill, and the seniors in the community.

~ Strive to develop a more unified court and staff all to the benefit of the public who utilize the court system.

~ Implement reviews of the plenary guardianships for the developmentally disabled individuals to insure the continued health, safety, and well being of these individuals so often abused, neglected, or harmed by guardian neglect or by the guardian's own disability or deteriorating health.

~ Improve, strengthen and work to reform the law especially with regard to the mentally ill and the mental health system. One method is to promote more usage in Macomb County of the "Kevin's Law" petitioning process, which seeks earlier intervention for person’s suffering from mental illness and who are non-compliant with treatment but who may not yet be to the point of requiring involuntary inpatient hospitalization. "Kevin's Law" petitions authorize mandated assisted out-patient treatment if certain conditions are met. Ms. Lux-Roland worked extensively with Macomb County Community Mental Health to draft court policies and procedures to use in Macomb County for "Kevin's Law" petitions. Even though there appear to be numerous deficiencies in the state’s "Kevin's Law" statutes, these mandated assisted outpatient treatment petitions are a viable current option for families that is being under utilized in Macomb County. 

Ms. Lux-Roland has also been following recent trends in mental health issues and has been looking into the feasibility of establishing mental health courts; amendments to the Power of Attorney and Patient Advocate statutes to include mental health care treatment options; and, amendments to statutes dealing with a guardian's authority to consent to mental health treatment for an incapacitated individual. All are issues of importance and gaining momentum in the mental health arena to more effectively treat and help the mentally ill community and their families.

~ Debra Lux-Roland WILL treat all those that come before the court with compassion, dignity, and respect AND she will bring integrity, commitment, trust, accountability and a strong work ethic back to the court.

Even though Ms. Lux-Roland faces opposition from the incumbent, she is moving forward with confidence and faith. Confident that the voters can and will make a difference for the greater good. Confident that the voters will prove that it's not "who you know" that's important but that "what you know" and what you can bring to the judgeship position is more important. Confident that the voters will realize that having the word "incumbent" after your name does not make you the better candidate. Confident that the voters want (and deserve) their judges to be fair, ethical, accountable, and their actions to remain above suspicion and if that’s not the case, then the voters will demand (and deserve) a change for the better. Ms. Lux-Roland is confident that her election to the bench as Macomb County Probate Court judge will be a change for the better and will be the better choice for the citizens of Macomb County.