Margaret M. Van Houten
MI · Judge, Criminal Division, Wayne County Third Judicial Circuit Court
Margaret M. Van Houten has been a Wayne County criminal division judge since her appointment in 2012. She practiced law for more than a decade, clerked for Brian Zahra on two Michigan courts, and served four terms on the Dearborn Heights City Council.
Where Margaret M. Van Houten stands, based on their records
Supports
Civil Rights (3 records)
Campaign finance information not available
Track record
Track record — Civil Rights
Civil Rights · 3 support
Margaret M. Van Houten sentenced Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl to one year of probation after their no-contest pleas to voter-intimidation, conspiracy, and computer-crime charges arising from robocalls targeting predominantly Black Detroit voters.
December 1, 2025Supports Civil Rights
Source: michigan.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Margaret M. Van Houten denied Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl's motions to quash voter-intimidation charges arising from robocalls targeting Black Detroit voters; Michigan appellate courts ultimately upheld the charges.
February 23, 2021Supports Civil Rights
Source: courts.michigan.gov · researched July 13, 2026
As a Dearborn Heights council member, Margaret M. Van Houten helped draft and then voted for a human-rights ordinance that included sexual-orientation and gender-identity protections, while placing her objection to the added gender-identity language on the record.
October 11, 2005Supports Civil Rights
Source: pridesource.com · researched July 13, 2026
Track record — General
General · 1 record
As a Dearborn Heights council member, Margaret M. Van Houten proposed a resolution restricting city employees' take-home vehicles, with exceptions for the mayor and police and fire chiefs.
June 5, 2011
Source: government-fleet.com · researched July 13, 2026
Track record — Impartiality
Impartiality · 1 favorable
Margaret M. Van Houten testified for the Third Circuit Court in support of Michigan House Bill 4861 and its removal of a party-declaration requirement from affidavits filed by nonpartisan candidates.
October 21, 2025Favorable on Impartiality
Source: michiganadvance.com · researched July 13, 2026
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 4 favorable · 1 unfavorable
Margaret M. Van Houten participated in Wayne County's first Sentinel Event Review, which examined Eric Anderson's wrongful conviction and produced 25 consensus recommendations for criminal-justice system improvements.
November 17, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: waynecountymi.gov · researched July 13, 2026
The Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed Margaret M. Van Houten's dismissal on double-jeopardy grounds of felony-murder and home-invasion charges against Michael Jackson-Bolanos after a partial verdict and deadlocked counts in the Samantha Woll case.
October 17, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: michbar.org · researched July 13, 2026
Margaret M. Van Houten accepted Raymond Gray's no-contest plea to second-degree murder and imposed a time-served sentence after 48.2 years in prison, allowing his release without treating the result as an exoneration.
May 25, 2021Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: utility.waynecountymi.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Margaret M. Van Houten denied Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl's motions to quash voter-intimidation charges arising from robocalls targeting Black Detroit voters; Michigan appellate courts ultimately upheld the charges.
February 23, 2021Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: courts.michigan.gov · researched July 13, 2026
In People v. Tennille and People v. Rutledge, the Court of Appeals found that Margaret M. Van Houten's original Batson analysis omitted required fact-finding and defense rebuttal; after the ordered hearing, the court affirmed her finding that the prosecutor had not intentionally discriminated.
December 29, 2016Unfavorable on Legal Competence
Source: courts.michigan.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Race Margaret M. Van Houten is in:
- 3rd Circuit Judge of Circuit Court - Incumbent - 6 Year Terms · November 3, 2026 · Wayne County, Michigan · incumbent
Profile last researched August 7, 2026.