Judges
Miriam A. Perry, Chief Judge
Miriam A. Perry was appointed to the 15th Judicial District Court bench by Governor Gretchen Whitmer on December 16, 2020. She presides over criminal and traffic cases.
Judge Perry received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 1993 from Spelman College. She attended the University of Michigan Law School and was awarded her Juris Doctor degree in 1998.
Prior to her appointment, she served as a clinical fellow at the University of Michigan of Veterans Legal Clinic. Judge Perry was an assistant public defender for the Washtenaw County Public Defender's Office for over 14 years.
From 2001 to 2006, she worked as a judicial attorney at the Third Circuit Court of Michigan and then briefly as a law clerk at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. After law school, she participated in the Japanese Exchange in Teaching program in Japan for two years.
Judge Perry is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Washtenaw County Bar Association, Michigan District Judges Association, Association of Black Judges of Michigan, American Judges Association, Black Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, NAACP, Ann Arbor Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the Kiwanis Club.
S. Kerene Moore, Judge
S. Kerene Moore was elected to the 15th Judicial District Court for a six-year term on November 5, 2024. Her term began on January 2, 2025. She presides over general civil provider cases, OWI cases, and the specialized Sobriety Court docket.
Judge Moore received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in 2002. She attended the University of Michigan Law School and was awarded her Juris Doctor degree in 2005.
Prior to her election to the 15th District Court, she served as the Director of Conviction Integrity and Expungement at the Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, and as a judicial attorney and juvenile referee in the Washtenaw County Circuit Court. She started her legal career as an attorney for the Legal Services of South Central Michigan where she represented individuals who could not afford an attorney for over 12 years. In 2019, Judge Moore transitioned to the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, where she served as an administrative law examiner.
Judge Moore has previously served on the Ann Arbor District Library Board of Trustees (2018-2022), as well as the Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission (2016-2019). She has also served on the boards of multiple nonprofit organizations, including the Neutral Zone, Jim Toy Community Center, and Equality Michigan. In 2014, Judge Moore also founded Outreach, an award-winning pro bono project facilitated by the Outlaws at the University of Michigan Law School.
Judge Moore is a member of the Michigan District Judges Association, Association of Black Judges of Michigan, International Association of LGBTQ+ Judges, State Bar of Michigan LGBTQ+ Law Section, Washtenaw County Bar Association, Vanzetti Hamilton Bar Association, Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, and the Ann Arbor NAACP. She has also served on editorial boards of multiple legal journals, and has 11 publications.
Tamara A. Garwood, Judge
Tamara A. Garwood was appointed as a 15th Judicial District Court Judge by Governor Gretchen Whitmer on January 6, 2026. Judge Garwood presides over criminal, traffic, and landlord-tenant cases as well as the specialized Mental Health Treatment Court and Veterans Treatment Court dockets.
Judge Garwood received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1995 from the University of Michigan. In 1999, she was awarded her Juris Doctor degree from the Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University.
From 2016 until 2026, Tamara A. Garwood served as the Magistrate of the 15th District Court. Prior to that, she was in private practice for 17 years. During that time, she regularly served as a Mediator, Arbitrator, and Guardian ad Litem.
Judge Garwood is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Washtenaw County Bar Association, and the Women Lawyers Association-Washtenaw County. She is a Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation, a co-chair of the State Bar of Michigan Unauthorized Practice of Law Standing Committee, a member of the State Bar of Michigan District G Committee for Character and Fitness, and on the Board of Directors for the Washtenaw County EMU Legal Resource Center. She also serves on the Board of the Washtenaw County Bar Association and has held various positions within the Association
Judge Garwood has served as a board member of several community organizations. She served as the Vice President of the Michigan Association of District Court Magistrates and as an instructor for the Michigan Judicial Institute. Judge Garwood has also been a contributor for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education.
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