Senate confirms Grey to federal court in Detroit

Washington ― The U.S. Senate voted 49-42 Thursday to confirm Michigan U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey to serve on the District Court bench for the Eastern District of Michigan. 

Grey's nomination received bipartisan support, getting votes from four Republican senators: Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

Grey, 40, of Detroit was nominated by President Joe Biden last year, but the Senate ran out of time to consider his nomination before year's end, so Biden had to nominate him again in January.

Grey has served as a magistrate judge since Aug. 24, 2021. Previously, he was an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Ohio starting in 2016 and for the Eastern District of Michigan from 2012 to 2016, handling illegal firearms, fraud and international narcotics cases. He also led diversity programs and anti-domestic violence initiatives.

Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, and Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, applauded Grey's confirmation.

“I can think of no better place for Judge Grey to continue to serve the people of Michigan than on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan," Stabenow said in a statement. "His experience and thoughtfulness make him a great fit. His confirmation is wonderful news for Michigan."

“Judge Grey will bring strong legal experience and a commitment to upholding the rule of law,” Peters said in a statement. “I’m proud to have supported his confirmation and look forward to seeing him honorably serve on the federal bench.”

Born in Mississippi and raised in Baton Rouge, Grey is a graduate of Morehouse College and Georgetown University Law Center. He is an executive board member of the Urban League of Detroit and Southeastern Michigan and a mentor with the Franklin County Children's Service Simba Mentoring Program.

Before his time as a prosecutor, Grey was in private practice as an associate at Seyfarth Shaw LLP in Chicago, practicing labor and employment law. 

Grey also served as a law clerk for prominent late Judge Damon J. Keith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 2010 to 2011. He also clerked for Judge W. Louis Sands on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia.