Judge Michelle Thomason to discuss veterans court at Wallace State event

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Baldwin County District Judge Michelle Thomason

HANCEVILLE – Wallace State Community College will welcome Baldwin County District Judge Michelle Thomason as a special guest speaker on Thursday, Jan. 31, at 9:30 a.m. in the Burrow Center Recital Hall. Thomason will be speaking about the Baldwin County Veterans Court, which she founded in February of 2014. The event is free and open to the public.

The Baldwin County Veterans Court program was developed to help veterans achieve total abstinence from drugs and/or alcohol, be diverted from prison/jail, and to have a more productive, healthy, law-abiding life. The veterans court is designed to reduce re-arrests, promote self-sufficiency through employment and education and to assist veterans with remaining in the community as a productive and responsible member of society.

Thomason is in her 13th year on the bench. Although she is a district judge by title, she is a circuit judge by special appointment, as the majority of her caseload involves family court cases such as divorces, custody, child support and domestic violence. She also presides over the misdemeanor domestic violence dockets.

Thomason has a business degree from Mobile College (now the University of Mobile), and before her career in law, she was in banking and finance for 10 years.  She received her law degree from Tulane Law School.  Prior to becoming a judge, she was a partner in the law firm of Pearson, Cummins & Hart, where she practiced civil litigation and family law for over 11 years prior to taking the bench.

Thomason attends Graceport Church in Fairhope, is a Paul Harris Fellow and member of the Fairhope Sunset Rotary Club.  She is on the Board of Directors for the University of Mobile Foundation, past president of the Alabama District Judges Association, the co-chair of the State’s Judicial Education Committee, on the Supreme Court Judicial Rules Committee, the Judicial Re-allocation Commission and is very active in other civil and charitable boards and organizations. She was also recently named Judge of the Year by the Alabama State Bar Family Law Section.

Thomason is married to Tony Thomason.  She has one son and daughter-in-law and three grandchildren.