History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

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of Michigan" was created, the organized counties of the territory constituting one circuit, and the presiding judge to be styled the circuit
judge, to be appointed by the governor, and who must be a person
learned in the law, and should hold his position for four years. Two
associate judges were also to be appointed in each county, to hold their
offices three years. Any two of the judges could form a quorum for
the transaction of the ordinary business of the court, but no flagrant
crime could be tried in the absence of the circuit judge, unless the person charged therewith consented to a trial. These courts possessed chancery and common law jurisdiction, original in all civil cases where justices had not jurisdiction, and had cognizance of all offenses not similarly cognizable by justices, and appellate powers over justices. The
circuit courts existing at the time of the passage of the act were in the
act denominated "the superior circuit courts of the territory of Michigan," but the business on their dockets was transferred to the new
tribunal.
The first term of this court was begun June 23, 1833, in Pontiac,
Hon. William A. Fletcher, circuit judge, presiding, with Amasa Bagley as associate judge. Judge Fletcher's commission, issued by Governor
Porter, was read, and spread on the record. At the July term, 1834,
Daniel LeRoy and Bagley appeared as associate judges. The June term,
1836, was the last term of the circuit court of the territory of Michigan,
held in Oakland county, though in November the last representatives of
the old regime-John Goodrich, deputy clerk; Orison Allen, sheriff;
and Oliver Torrey, the crier-met, and the sheriff returned the venire
for the grand and petit juries, the most of whom appeared; but no
judge came, and the court was adjourned by the clerk until the next
morning, November 2d, when the same august person came into the
court room at nine o'clock A. M., with the balance of the jury; but the
day wore on, no judge appeared and at five o'clock of the second day the
court stood adjourned sine die.
The first term of the circuit court of the county of Oakland in the
state of Michigan, was held in May, 1837, beginning on the first Tuesday of the month; Hon. George Morell, one of the associate judges of
the supreme court, presiding, with Samuel Satterlee and David Paddock, associates. G. A. C. Luce was the first attorney admitted to the
bar in the state court, May 2, I837. This style of the court continued
until October, 1839, when a court was held, styled the circuit court of
the fourth circuit within and for the county of Oakland, at which Hon.
Charles W. Whipple, one of the associate judges of the supreme court,
and presiding judge of the fourth circuit, presided, with Associate
Judges Satterlee and Paddock. In the March term, 1840, the placita,
designedly or otherwise, changed to the circuit court of the county of
Oakland. In 1847, at the September term, Judge Whipple held 'the
term alone, the associate judges falling out by law, on the reestablishment of the county court. In April, 1848, another change was made in
the courts, the supreme court being recognized and made to consist of
one chief and four associate justices, and the state was divided into five