Cheryl R. Sweeney was once an English major who never planned to study law. Now, she’s the fifth female judge in Monroe County history.
On Nov. 6, Sweeney was appointed a Monroe County Probate Court judge by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
“They called me on Wednesday (Nov. 5) to make an appointment for the governor to speak with me on Thursday,” Sweeney said. “(Whitmer) said she was very pleased to appoint me and that the committee that interviewed me was really confident I was the right choice.”
Sweeney will fill a partial term created after the resignation of Judge Frank Arnold. The term will expire at noon on Jan. 1, 2027.
“I’m proud to appoint Cheryl to the Monroe County Probate Court,” Whitmer said in a news release. “As a lifelong resident of the area, a longtime employee of the court and a skilled legal professional, I am confident Cheryl will serve the people of Michigan admirably and uphold the rule of law.”
Sweeney, 58, of LaSalle is a 1985 Monroe High School graduate. She was valedictorian of her class. She’s currently the chief juvenile court referee for the 38th Judicial Circuit Court, Family Division and deputy probate register for the Monroe County Probate Court. As a referee, she hears minor guardianship, conservatorship and related cases and makes recommendations to a judge.
Sweeney didn’t expect to have an opportunity to serve as a judge.
“I didn’t think it would come open. Judges (Cheryl) Lohmeyer and Arnold and I are about the same age. I assumed they’d stay on the bench until they aged out. I would age out as well. Then, Judge Arnold decided to retired and the seat opened up,” Sweeney said.
Sweeney ran for election in 2012 for a circuit court judge seat. Judge Daniel White won the election.
“It wasn’t the right time,” Sweeney said.
But, when Arnold announced his retirement, Sweeney applied. She had two rounds of virtual interviews.
“This is really the perfect seat for me. It covers the areas of law that I practiced my entire years of private practice,” Sweeney said. “If I could have chosen a seat to have, this would have been it.”
For 26 years, before joining the Monroe County court system six years ago, Sweeney practiced primarily probate and family law. She also had been an associate attorney at the Law Offices of Terri Hall.
She enjoys seeing the results of juvenile and probate work.
“You can see when you make a difference and help a family be reunited or help a juvenile delinquent change their behavior. I love that. Probate and family law is the same thing; it impacts people’s daily lives,” Sweeney said.
She recalled a foster family she worked with for several years. They eventually were able to adopt a girl who they’d cared for since infancy.
“It lasted several years and was quite a battle. The foster family was phenomenal; they adored this little girl. They were able to adopt. Since then, they adopted another girl. It just warms my heart to see that,” Sweeney said.
Sweeney never planned to study law.
“I don’t come from a family of lawyers. I was an English major in college. I wanted to be an editor. I came out and jobs in that field were hard to find. I became a legal assistant (for Judge White). I decided I wanted to pursue law,” said Sweeney, who earned a juris doctor from the University of Toledo College of Law.
She’s the daughter of Carl Sweeney of LaSalle and the late Sharon Sweeney. Sweeney and her husband, Craig Prater, have been married for 31 years and have two sons: Grant Prater, 26, a band director in Walled Lake, and Drew Prater, 24, a pharmacy student at the University of Michigan.
She’s a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and had served on the Monroe Public Schools’ board of education from 2016-19.
Sweeney has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Michigan. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan Children’s Law Section and the Referees Association of Michigan.
— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@monroenews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Learn about Cheryl Sweeney of LaSalle, Monroe County’s newly appointed probate judge
Reporting by Suzanne Nolan Wisler, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
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