James Robert Redford

Professional career

• Nonpartisan judge of the Michigan Court of Appeals, 3rd District, serving since 2018 with a term ending January 1, 2029
• Redford has been a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals, 3rd District since 2018, elected in the November 8, 2022 general election
• 2003–2015: Judge, Kent County Circuit Court (17th Circuit), elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2010
• Served five years on active duty in the U.S. Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps, followed by 23 years in the Navy Reserves, attaining the rank of Captain
• Also assigned as a judge in the Navy and Marine Corps Trial Judiciary

Education

Additional information

• In 2025, Judge Redford denied former President Donald Trump’s request to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to remove him from the Michigan ballot, citing the limited jurisdiction of the Michigan Court of Claims.
• Redford is a frequent trial advocacy instructor for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, a past president of the Federal Bar Association for the Western District Court, and serves on multiple nonprofit boards