Lake County trial courtroom A will be named the Honorable Judge Mark S. Wickens Courtroom in dedication to Judge Wickens' (pictured) 40 years of service on the bench.
Pioneer file photoLAKE COUNTY — Courtroom A at the Lake County Courthouse will now bear the name the “Honorable Mark S. Wickens Courtroom.”
The Lake County board of commissioners passed a resolution dedicating the courtroom to Judge Wickens during its meeting on Feb. 22.
Wickens retired as Chief Judge for Lake County Trial Court as of Jan. 31, after serving on the bench for 40 years. He was the longest serving probate judge in Michigan history.
The resolution states that Wickens served Lake County and the courts with “compassion, integrity and commitment.” Under Wickens’ leadership,
Lake County became one of six inaugural consolidated courts by the Michigan Supreme Court, “a system that has proven to be a very efficient case management system as it streamlined administrative duties, expedited matters and prevented redundancies.”
“Lake County has been privileged to have Judge Wickens as a judge, given the rigors of a trial court system that demands a jurist with considerable knowledge of criminal, civil and probate matters,” it states. “Therefore, the Lake County board of commissioners, on behalf of the residents, wishes to show their appreciation to Judge Wickens… (and does), herby dedicates Courtroom A to the Honorable Mark S. Wickens, and from this point forward, the courtroom shall be titled the Honorable Mark S. Wickens Courtroom.”
