Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has appointed deputy public defender, Anna White, of Ottawa County to complete the judicial term vacated by Judge Bradley Knoll in 58th District Court.
Knoll was forced to resign following an order from the Michigan Supreme Court issued March 25. Knoll was last re-elected in 2020 to a six-year term set to expire in December. He will retire six months earlier than planned, and has been suspended with pay since March. He was ineligible to run again because he’s past the age of 70.
White’s term will commence July 6 and expire at 12 p.m. Jan. 1, 2027, when she’ll be replaced by the winning candidate from the general election in November — unless, of course, that candidate is her. White announced she’d run for the role in December 2025.
“(It’s) truly an honor to be appointed to this seat,” White wrote in a news release. “I care deeply about our community and I look forward to the opportunity to bring justice and dignity to every person who enters the Holland District Court.”
White was previously an associate at Hann Persinger, P.C. She serves on the board of directors for Movement West Michigan and Compassionate Heart Ministries, as well as the advisory board for Ridge Point Community Church. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Hope College and a Juris Doctor from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
Paul Ledford has also announced his candidacy for the seat vacated by Knoll. Ledford has three decades of experience as an attorney and founded Ledford and Associates in 2002. In addition to his legal practice, Ledford has taught and lectured on various legal and civil rights.
— Cassidey Kavathas is the politics and court reporter at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at ckavathas@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on X @cassideykava.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Judicial candidate appointed to replace Knoll by Gov. Whitmer
Reporting by Cassidey Kavathas, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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By Cassidey Kavathas, Holland Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
