Lansing Sun

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that she has appointed Christopher P. Yates to the Court of Appeals - District 3; Tony Flores to the 54A District Court of the City of Lansing; and Robert K. Gaecke Jr., to the 12th District Court of Jackson County.

"I am humbled by the opportunity to serve the City of Lansing as a district court judge," said Flores in a recent press release issued on the governor's office website. "I am proud to be a part of the Lansing community that has been my home for almost 30 years."

Flores serves as a full-time professor at the Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, where he teaches criminal procedure and evidence, the release said.

Flores' appointment fills a partial term, which will begin on April 18 and conclude at noon on Jan. 1, 2023; because Judge Louise Alderson retired, the release said. Should Flores desire a new term, he would have to run for reelection in November.

Before becoming a professor, Flores was Mecosta County's assistant prosecuting attorney in charge of handling legal proceedings of criminal case. He was also in charge of child abuse cases in Ingham County.

A long-time resident of Lansing, Flores has a Juris Doctor degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from the University of Colorado, the release said. Additionally, he is vice chair of Faculty Governance at Cooley Law School and also chair of the Litigation Concentration. 

"Judge Yates, Mr. Flores and Mr. Geacke will bring decades of legal experience to the bench and ensure that the rule of law is upheld across Michigan," Whitmer said in the release. She added that she was honored to have appointed the distinguished men to serve as judges.