Who is Jim Howell?
Jim and his wife Maureen have been married for 34 years and live in St. Charles. They have three children and six grandchildren. His daughters, Rebecca and Heather, are elementary teachers in the public schools. His son, Sam, was studying Pre-Med at Michigan State University when in February 2005 he was involved in a very serious automobile accident which nearly cost him his life. Sam was hospitalized for nine months, and Jim ended up taking a leave of absence from the Attorney General's Office to assist his wife in caring for their son in their home.
Jim has done many things over his life. He served his country in the United States Air Force, serving in the Republic of Vietnam, he was a police officer in the City Saginaw for 10 years, he has been a Saginaw County attorney for over 25 years, served as an Assistant Attorney General, and was the State Representative for a large portion of Saginaw County.
During the time that Jim was a State Representative, he was the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee in the State House. This Committee has responsibility for the courts, including the circuit court in Saginaw County. During his time in the Legislature, Jim was the primary sponsor of numerous laws, many of which dealt with the courts, their jurisdiction and responsibilities, and ways of making them more responsive to the public they serve.