Judge Gene Hunt, Judge of the 19th District Court, spent his entire working life protecting the rights of people. Born in 1955, Gene’s family moved to Dearborn when he was a child. He grew up in Dearborn and attended Fordson High School, Henry Ford Community College, and the University of Michigan – Dearborn. Gene went on to earn his law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
Gene proudly served as a United States Marine and has been an attorney for 34 years. For more than 20 years he has served as the court-appointed attorney for the 19th District Court, representing indigent defendants. As a court-appointed attorney, he appeared in court up to five days a week and handled more than 10,000 cases in the Dearborn Court.
In 2016, with his continued pursuit to guarantee equal access to justice for all citizens, Gene ran for his first judicial election. On November 8, 2016, voters elected him to serve as the next 19th District Court Judge for the City of Dearborn, effective January 1, 2017.
During his first year as a judge, Gene took the necessary steps to facilitate meetings and coordinate with community partners to establish a Veterans Treatment Court, which was approved by the Michigan Supreme Court on January 23, 2018.
The Supreme Court appointed Gene as Chief Judge, effective January 1, 2019, and he served in this role until December 2022.
With the success of the Veterans Court and an identified need for a local program for non-veterans, Gene worked to implement a second problem-solving court. As Chief Judge, Gene signed the local administrative order establishing the Drug and Sobriety Treatment Court, which was approved on May 30, 2019. The Veterans Court and Drug/Sobriety Court promote sobriety, recovery, and stability through a coordinated response that involves collaboration with a variety of traditional partners. Gene serves as the presiding judge for both programs.
Gene is a member of the Dearborn Exchange Club, the Optimist Club, American Legion, League of Women Voters, and the Dearborn Allied War Veterans Council.
He has been married to his wife Carol since 1983. The Hunts have dedicated their careers to public service and are the proud parents of two daughters and four grandchildren.