Jessica R. Cooper, candidate for Oakland County Prosecutor, served 28 years as a judge starting at the district court level and rising to the Michigan Court of Appeals.

A pioneer in the world of women in the law, Cooper attended law school at Wayne State University at a time when it was still uncommon for women to be accepted into law school

Cooper began her law career as an assistant defender in the Michigan State Appellate Defenders Office until she entered private practice as a civil rights attorney, fighting for workers and their families. In 1978, as a young attorney, she was approached to run for 46th District Court judge in Southfield. In an upset victory, she beat the longtime incumbent judge, becoming the first female judge in Southfield and one of the few in Oakland County. In 1986, she was elected to the 6th Circuit Court in Oakland County, where she served until 2000.

As a circuit court judge, Cooper developed a reputation as a tough but fair judge who administered justice from the bench in some of the most high profile cases in Oakland County, the state of Michigan and across the country. Cases in which Cooper presided as judge include the trial of Jack Kevorkian, whom she sentenced to 10 to 25 years for second-degree murder. Cooper told the assisted suicide doctor that despite his crusade, he was not above the law. She also sentenced Henry Hearns, the brother of boxer Tommy “Hitman” Hearns, to 27-52 years after he was convicted of the second-degree murder of his fiancé; and Michael Fletcher, a Hazel Park lawyer, to life in prison for murdering his pregnant wife.

In 2000, she was elected to the Michigan Court of Appeals, serving at the state level until 2007, when she stepped down to form her own private practice as both a labor and commercial mediator and arbitrator.

A founding member of the National Association of Women Judges in 1979, she served on its National Task Force on Gender Bias in the Courts. Cooper also is a founding member of the Michigan Chapter of the American Constitution Society, and she served as the organization’s president from 2006-07. Cooper also is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association and a Master and Team Leader in the American Inns of Court. She has been a board member of numerous legal and community organizations including Haven and the Child Abuse and Neglect Council for Oakland County (C.A.N.C.O.)

Cooper has served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School, teaching evidence and family law and at Michigan State University College of Law teaching trial practice. Throughout her career, she has shared her experience and knowledge at continuing legal education seminars around the country.

In declaring her intent to run for Oakland County Prosecutor, Cooper said, “I’ve been protecting the people of Oakland County for close to 30 years. Serving as Oakland County Prosecutor simply expands my demonstrated commitment to another part of the criminal justice system. It affords another opportunity to ensure that the citizens of this community receive the justice they deserve.”