Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Massie to retire from bench; local attorneys vie for seat

By RICHARD JENKINS

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Bessemer — While he has worn a number of different hats since several Gogebic County courts were combined, Judge Joel Massie has decided it’s time to hang them all up.

“It’s been a rewarding 26-plus years and I’ve enjoyed particularly working with the people in the courthouse and the lawyers,” Massie told the Daily Globe earlier this month, reflecting on his time on the bench. “I just think it’s at a point where it’s time to move on.”

Massie first became a judge when Gov. John Engler appointed him as Gogebic County probate judge in 1992, following the retirement of Timothy Mahoney. He assumed additional duties as 98th District Judge in 2015 after the retirement of Anders Tingstad and consolidation of the two positions. He has also served as the chief judge for all courts in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties and as the judge for the family division of the 32nd Circuit Court.

While Massie has decided it’s a good time to retire, he joked he could have stayed on longer.

“I don’t have to retire. Judges are (mandated to retire) at 70, and I’m not there yet,” he said laughing.

Massie said he has enjoyed the varied nature of the cases he deals with, especially since the various courts have been combined.

Other than the combination of the courts, one of the biggest changes Massie has seen since he started in the early ‘90s is the role technology plays in the day-to-day workings of the court system.

“Judge Tingstad put in the JAVS system, so I don’t have a court reporter. So it’s a self-recording system, which has some challenges. Our records and traffic tickets and things like that here have all become computerized,” Massie said. “It’s had its advantages in terms of being able to do more volume, but there’s also challenges.”

He praised the courthouse’s past and present information technology staff for the excellent work they do to ensure the court can continue to operate when confronted with technological challenges, such as software updates and compatibility issues when dealing with other organizations.

A Bessemer native whose family has ties to the city since 1885, Massie graduated Gogebic Community College before finishing his undergraduate degree at Western Michigan University and attending law school at Marquette University in Milwaukee.

After graduating, Massie returned to the Northwoods to practice law for 13 years — originally with Paul Sturgul and Jim McKenzie in Hurley, before crossing the river to start his own practice in Bessemer.

But Massie doesn’t just have multi-generational ties to Bessemer — he has them to the Gogebic County Courthouse as he spent time there when he was younger while his mother, Ann, was probate register.

While he intends to keep his law license upon his retirement, Massie said he didn’t intend to practice full-time.

Instead, his post-retirement plans include traveling around the globe to visit his children and enjoying his hobbies of skiing, snowshoeing and bird hunting.

“My kids are scattered around the world — Florida, Oregon and Africa. So we’ll do some traveling, and then enjoy our place on Lake Superior,” Massie said.

With Massie’s decision to leave the bench, several local attorneys have tossed their hats in the ring to replace him.

Anna Talaska, Tracie Wittla and Rudy Perhalla have all filed papers to run for the seat.

All three touted their experience trying the wide variety of cases Massie hears as a key qualifications for office.

“Given the variety of cases that go through that court, it’s important to have someone who has experience with very different things and I think I can do that. I think I have that,” said Talaska, who has been with the firm McKenzie, Talaska and Muskett since she graduated law school in 2005.

“Over 75 percent of my cases have involved probate and district court matters. During this time I’ve handled all of the abuse and neglect, delinquency, mental health, animal control, domestic violence and child support cases in the county,” said Wittla, who has served Gogebic County as chief assistant prosecutor for almost 20 years.

“I’ve been practicing in the probate court (since becoming a lawyer). I’m very familiar with it,” said Perhalla, who has practiced law since 1987. “I probably handle most of the types of cases (heard by the court).”

As more than two candidates have filed papers to run for the office, the race will appear on the August primary ballot. The top two vote-getters in the primary contest will advance to the general election in November, with the winner being sworn in as judge.

 
 
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