# George J. Mertz

Circuit Judge · [46th Circuit Court](/kyj/court/mi/46th-circuit-court-crawford)

Last updated October 7, 2026

## George J. Mertz at a glance

Current role

Circuit Judge

Court

[46th Circuit Court](/kyj/court/mi/46th-circuit-court-crawford)

Jurisdiction

Michigan · State

Judicial service

Active

## Biography

### Professional career

- Circuit Judge for the 46th Circuit Court in Otsego County, Michigan, appointed by Governor Rick Snyder in January 2013

- Began his legal career in 2001 as a judicial law clerk for the 46th Circuit Court, working primarily for Judges Alton Davis and Dennis Murphy

- The 46th Circuit Court streams many of Judge Mertz’s hearings live on the official court’s YouTube channel, covering cases in Otsego, Crawford, and Kalkaska counties

- Circuit Judge, 46th Circuit Court, Otsego County, MI

### Education

- J.D — the Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University in — 2001

### Additional information

## Applicable Court Rules & Procedures

Rules last checked July 26, 2026 .

### Remote appearances

Michigan courts may determine the manner and extent of videoconferencing technology, subject to participant requests and suitability factors under MCR 2.407.

If a Michigan proceeding will be held by videoconferencing technology, the court must provide reasonable notice of how to access it.

### Recording and broadcasting

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.

### Device Use

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.

## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

46th Circuit Court

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.

46th Circuit Court

Michigan Circuit Court appellate proceedings only; retained September 2, 2026 compilation. Source exceptions and later amendments apply.

## Sources

Identity source checked July 26, 2026 .

Biography sources checked July 26, 2026 .

### Michigan Courts official judicial roster

Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026

### Michigan Court Rule 2.407, Videoconferencing

Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026

### Michigan Court Rule 8.115, Courthouse Decorum and Portable Electronic Devices

Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026

[Public Records & Data Use](/public-records-data-use) · [Corrections policy](/corrections)