Hon. Patricia Perez Fresard

Patricia Perez Fresard has served as the Chief Judge of the Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan since January 1, 2023, and is the first Hispanic Chief Judge in the Court’s history. She has been a judge for 25 years, and was first elected to the Court in 1999. There, Judge Fresard tried more than 500 cases and was instrumental in establishing Wayne County’s Drug Court.

In September 2012, Judge Fresard transferred to the Court’s Civil Division, and was named the division’s Presiding Judge in 2016. Three years later, she was appointed as Chief Judge Pro Tem. Before her time as a judge, she spent numerous years as a prosecutor. Judge Fresard is a cum laude graduate and holds a J.D. from the Detroit College of Law, now known as Michigan State University College of Law.

Judge Fresard’s mantra is "joining forces to serve better together,” which she does in both her professional and personal life. Judge Fresard remains active in the Wayne County community, sitting on the board of directors for La Sed, a non-profit agency serving Hispanics and residents of Southwest Detroit, the Detroit Bar Association Foundation, and the Mediation Tribunal Association. She is also a member of Wayne County’s Gun Violence Reduction Task Force. In addition, Judge Fresard has allocated time, talent, and resources to the crafting of a Diversity and Inclusion Plan for the Third Judicial Circuit.

A native of Ecuador who came to Detroit with her family at the age of three, Judge Fresard enjoys painting and spending time with her husband, three children, and three grandchildren outside of work.

Hon. Edward Ewell, Jr.

Edward Ewell, Jr. graduated from the University of Michigan and then pursued a Master’s of Science degree from Atlanta University. He later graduated from Wayne State University Law School. After clerking for Federal Judge Damon J. Keith in U. S. Court of Appeals, Judge Ewell became an associate at the law firm of Pepper, Hamilton & Scheetz; a Federal Prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office; and General Counsel for Wayne County.

In August 2003, Ed Ewell was appointed to the Wayne County Circuit Court.  He served in the Criminal Division for eleven years: serving five years as Presiding Judge. For the past six years he has served in the Civil Division as a Business Court Judge.

 Judge Ewell is very active in the community; serving on the Boards of Henry Ford Health Systems, the Youth Connection, Wayne State University Alumni Association, Wayne State Law School Board of Visitors, the Association of Black Judges, the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, Sobriety House and Chairman of Corinthian Baptist Church Deacon Board.

Judge Ewell lives in the City of Detroit with his wife of thirty-six years, Attorney and Law Professor Florise Neville Ewell. They have two grown children. 

Marcy A. Tayler

Marcy Tayler Mediation Services

Marcy Tayler devoted the first 35 years of her litigation practice defending complex first and third-party insurance matters. Ms. Tayler has extensive trial experience, having served as first chair trial counsel in dozens of trials. Having recently retired from her litigation practice, she started Marcy Tayler Mediation Services in 2023. Ms. Tayler is a state certified mediator and has also completed advanced mediation training. In addition to her private mediation practice, she mediates cases for Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb County Dispute Resolution Centers. She is licensed to practice in all Michigan trial courts as well as the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan. Ms. Tayler is a past two-term executive council member of the State Bar of Michigan Character and Fitness Committee. She served as chair of the State Bar of Michigan Litigation Section in 2016 and was inducted into the Fellows of the State Bar of Michigan in 2018. Most recently, Ms. Tayler was appointed to the State Bar of Michigan Lawyers and Judicial Assistance Committee where she served two terms. In 2023, she was appointed as a Fellow of the Detroit Bar Association and in 2024 she was elected to the Board of Directors of the Detroit Bar Association.

Donn Fresard

Mediator, Arbitrator, and Facilitator

Donn Fresard attended Western Michigan then Detroit College of Law, was admitted to the Michigan Bar in 1984, and was in private practice from 1984 to 2004, concentrating in civil litigation, land use, and zoning issues. 

In 2004, he took the position as Chief of Staff for Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, and transitioned to Chief Assistant in 2019.

In 2022, Donn accepted the position of Chief Assistant for Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido, elected following the resignation of former Macomb Prosecutor Eric Smith. 

Donn maintained outside employment as a Mediator, Arbitrator, and Facilitator while in public service, and expanded his practice following his retirement from Macomb in 2024. 

Donn has been a Wayne County Mediation Tribunal Arbitrator since 1999, and currently also serves as a Discovery Mediator.

Suzanne Stanczyk

Suzanne C. Stanczyk PLLC

Suzanne Stanczyk graduated from Boston College and the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 1985. Ms. Stanczyk was in private practice from 1985 to 2003 engaged in civil litigation in the areas of premises liability,

products liability, municipal law and construction law where she gained extensive trial

experience.

From 2002-2011, she was a member of the staff of the Honorable Gershwin A. Drain in Wayne Couty Circuit Court as a Research Attorney/Law Clerk where she was awarded the

opportunity to assist the Court by engaging with parties and counsel in settlement negotiations, often leading to resolution. Ms. Stanczyk continued in this role for another two years with the current Chief Judge, the Honorable Patricia Perez Fresard, who had taken over Judge Drain’s docket upon his confirmation as a Federal Judge in the U.S. District Court, Eastern Division in Detroit. During her employment with the Wayne County Circuit Court, Ms. Stanczyk settled cases

involving a wide range of legal subjects including, but not limited to, auto negligence, contract disputes, employment discrimination, insurance coverage and indemnity, medical

malpractice and products liability. She used her personal time to become a State certified mediator and complete advanced mediator training. She is licensed to practice in all Michigan trial courts as well as the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan. She has been a Wayne County Circuit Court Discovery Mediator since the program ‘s inception and is regularly appointed as a Discovery Mediator on complex discovery matters.

In 2013, Ms. Stanczyk started her private mediation practice where she has successfully worked toward the resolution of hundreds of cases. In addition to her mediation firm, Ms. Stanczyk continues to serve as a neutral case evaluator for the Wayne County Mediation Tribunal and a Discovery Mediator. She is an active member of the Detroit Bar Association where she is a Lifetime Fellow and annual presenter at the New Lawyer Boot Camp on Settlement Conferences and ADR.