The Honorable Mark A. Feyen has announced plans to step away from the bench. The Wyoming native who is entering his 35th year sitting on the Ottawa County Probate Court said in a statement on Tuesday, he will not run for re-election next year.
Feyen is a graduate of Calvin College (now Calvin University), and spent his early career days working in private practice before joining the Ottawa County Prosecutor’s office in April of 1984. The judge first donned his judicial robe in January of 1989 and won re-election five times, solidifying his place as Ottawa County’s longest-serving probate court judge.
As Chief Judge of the Probate Court and a member of the 20th Circuit Court's Family Division, Judge Feyen has cases involving probate estates, mental commitment, guardianship, conservatorship, child abuse and neglect, juvenile delinquency, and divorce, among many other case types. He also helped establish and has served as the judge of the Ottawa County Recovery Court, a specialty court helping adult criminal offenders achieve and maintain sobriety.
Reflecting on his 35 years of service, Judge Feyen said in a statement:
The most gratifying part of serving as a Probate judge is regular interaction with the most vulnerable members of our community. The mentally ill, the addicted, the disabled, the abused, and the marginalized are often people with amazing stories of hope, courage and resilience. It has been my pleasure to have played a small part in helping them build better lives.
