--- title: "Dana Margaret Hathaway | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/dana-margaret-hathaway-mi-circuit-judge-3rd-circuit-court" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-07-26" --- # Dana Margaret Hathaway 3rd Circuit Court · Circuit Judge ## Profile - Court: 3rd Circuit Court - State: Michigan - Role: Circuit Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-26 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### videoconferencing Scope: statewide Michigan courts may determine the manner and extent of videoconferencing technology, subject to participant requests and suitability factors under MCR 2.407. Evidence excerpt: courts may determine the manner and extent of the use of videoconferencing technology and may require participants to attend court proceedings by videoconferencing technology [Michigan Court Rule 2.407, Videoconferencing](https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/rules-instructions-administrative-orders/michigan-court-rules/court-rules-book-ch-2-responsive-html5.zip/Court_Rules_Book_Ch_2/Court_Rules_Chapter_2/Court_Rules_Chapter_2.htm?rhtocid=_2) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote access notice Scope: statewide If a Michigan proceeding will be held by videoconferencing technology, the court must provide reasonable notice of how to access it. Evidence excerpt: If a proceeding will be held using videoconferencing technology, the court must provide reasonable notice of the way(s) to access that proceeding. [Michigan Court Rule 2.407, Videoconferencing](https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/rules-instructions-administrative-orders/michigan-court-rules/court-rules-book-ch-2-responsive-html5.zip/Court_Rules_Book_Ch_2/Court_Rules_Chapter_2/Court_Rules_Chapter_2.htm?rhtocid=_2) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### recording and broadcasting Scope: statewide Michigan prohibits photography, audio or video recording, broadcasting, or live streaming in a courtroom unless allowed by the presiding judge, subject to the separate media-coverage order. Evidence excerpt: In a courtroom, no one may use a portable electronic device to take photographs or for audio or video recording, broadcasting, or live streaming unless that use is specifically allowed by the Judge presiding over that courtroom. [Michigan Court Rule 8.115, Courthouse Decorum and Portable Electronic Devices](https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/rules-instructions-administrative-orders/michigan-court-rules/court-rules-book-ch-8-responsive-html5.zip/Court_Rules_Book_Ch_8/Court_Rules_Chapter_8/Court_Rules_Chapter_8.htm?rhtocid=_25) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### device use Scope: statewide Michigan allows courtroom use of portable electronic devices for information retrieval, storage, internet access, and messaging, but requires silence and bars calls or other audible functions without court permission. Evidence excerpt: Attorneys, parties, and members of the public may use a portable electronic device in a courtroom to retrieve or to store information (including notetaking), to access the Internet, and to send and receive text messages or information. [Michigan Court Rule 8.115, Courthouse Decorum and Portable Electronic Devices](https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/rules-instructions-administrative-orders/michigan-court-rules/court-rules-book-ch-8-responsive-html5.zip/Court_Rules_Book_Ch_8/Court_Rules_Chapter_8/Court_Rules_Chapter_8.htm?rhtocid=_25) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courts.michigan.gov/api/directory/county/82) - [Official roster](https://www.courts.michigan.gov/api/directory/county/82) - [Michigan Courts official judicial roster](https://www.courts.michigan.gov/api/directory/county/82) - [Michigan Court Rule 2.407, Videoconferencing](https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/rules-instructions-administrative-orders/michigan-court-rules/court-rules-book-ch-2-responsive-html5.zip/Court_Rules_Book_Ch_2/Court_Rules_Chapter_2/Court_Rules_Chapter_2.htm?rhtocid=_2) - [Michigan Court Rule 8.115, Courthouse Decorum and Portable Electronic Devices](https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/rules-instructions-administrative-orders/michigan-court-rules/court-rules-book-ch-8-responsive-html5.zip/Court_Rules_Book_Ch_8/Court_Rules_Chapter_8/Court_Rules_Chapter_8.htm?rhtocid=_25) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/dana-margaret-hathaway-mi-circuit-judge-3rd-circuit-court", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/dana-margaret-hathaway-mi-circuit-judge-3rd-circuit-court", "name": "Dana Margaret Hathaway | KnowJudges", "description": "Dana Margaret Hathaway, 3rd Circuit Court. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-07-26", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/dana-margaret-hathaway-mi-circuit-judge-3rd-circuit-court#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/dana-margaret-hathaway-mi-circuit-judge-3rd-circuit-court#judge", "name": "Dana Margaret Hathaway", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/dana-margaret-hathaway-mi-circuit-judge-3rd-circuit-court", "jobTitle": "Circuit Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "3rd Circuit Court" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.courts.michigan.gov/api/directory/county/82" ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Michigan", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/michigan" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dana Margaret Hathaway", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/dana-margaret-hathaway-mi-circuit-judge-3rd-circuit-court" } ] } ] } ``` ## Biography ### Professional career - Dana Margaret Hathaway has held the role of a judge on the Michigan 3rd Circuit Court since 2013 - Her father, Richard Hathaway, is a retired Wayne County Circuit judge and former Wayne County treasurer, while her mother, Diane Hathaway, is a former Michigan Supreme Court justice who served from 2009 until her resignation in 2013 following a criminal conviction for bank fraud - Seasoned judge with a diverse professional background in law and forensic science - Hathaway previously served as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Wayne County and in private legal practice before her judicial appointment ### Education ### Additional information - She successfully ran for re-election in the November 5, 2024 general election, securing another term that will last until January 1, 2031. - She also ran for a seat on the Oakland County Probate Court in 2010, though she was defeated in the general election. - This family legacy has influenced Dana Hathaway’s career in the Michigan judicial system - Dana Hathaway comes from a family with a strong legal background. - Before entering the legal profession, Hathaway served as a forensic chemist in the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office, giving her a unique scientific perspective in legal matters. - Her career is marked by both professional achievements and public scrutiny, reflecting her prominent role in Michigan’s legal landscape - handling civil matters including claims over $25,000, medical malpractice, personal injury, employment disputes, and appeals from district courts and administrative agencies. - Hathaway has been rated as Qualified by the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association during her judicial campaigns ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Michigan Court Rule 8.115, Courthouse Decorum and Portable Electronic Devices](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-2f4be1384a246c5cc0b6bc97) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/rules-instructions-administrative-orders/michigan-court-rules/court-rules-book-ch-8-responsive-html5.zip/Court_Rules_Book_Ch_8/Court_Rules_Chapter_8/Court_Rules_Chapter_8.htm?rhtocid=_25). Collected 2026-07-26. - [Michigan Court Rules — Circuit Court appellate proceedings](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-a75753f265346674eb8ae5f8) — Michigan Circuit Court appellate proceedings only; retained September 2, 2026 compilation. Source exceptions and later amendments apply. [Official source](https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/rules-instructions-administrative-orders/michigan-court-rules/michigan-court-rules.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.