Dearborn has appointed attorney Mohamad Ihssan Bazzi as a part-time magistrate at the 19th District Court. The City Council unanimously approved his appointment, according to The Arab American News.

Bazzi succeeds Rula Aoun, whom Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed to the Wayne County Circuit Court. Aoun’s term began Sept. 14, according to an archived announcement from the governor’s office. She had been a magistrate in Dearborn since 2019, The Arab American News reported.

Item 12 of the Oct. 6 council agenda listed a resolution by Councilmembers Paris and Enos seeking concurrence in Bazzi’s appointment and requesting immediate effect.

Bazzi moved from Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon to the United States with his family when he was 7. He grew up in Dearborn and attended its public schools, according to The Arab American News.

He studied psychology at Wayne State University, earning a bachelor’s degree, and later earned his law degree at Cooley Law School. He became licensed to practice law in Michigan in 2019, the newspaper reported.

Bazzi’s private practice represents clients in criminal prosecutions, civil disputes, estate planning and business dealings. He told The Arab American News that probate and guardianship work has accounted for much of his seven years as an attorney, during which he has taken part in more than 1,000 court hearings.

“My appointment to a judicial position is a responsibility I take very seriously, and I am grateful for this opportunity to serve the court and the residents of Dearborn,” Bazzi told The Arab American News.

Bazzi said a traffic ticket or small claims dispute can bring someone into court for the first time. He told the newspaper he wants people appearing before him to understand the process and have time to present their side, with fair and respectful treatment.

Dearborn’s district court deals with traffic offenses, civil infractions and misdemeanor charges. It also conducts felony arraignments, with those cases proceeding to Wayne County Circuit Court, and operates programs serving veterans and people needing substance use treatment, according to The Arab American News.

The newspaper reported that Bazzi’s appointment will bring the court’s roster to three elected judges and three magistrates. Chief Judge Sam Salamey serves alongside Judges Gene Hunt and Mark Somers. The other magistrates are Ali Hammoud and Doraid B. Elder.

The Arab American News reported Oct. 9 that Salamey was expected to formally swear Bazzi in within the coming days.