Judge Juanita F. Bocanegra

Why Re-Elect Judge Juanita F. Bocanegra?

Since taking the bench in January 2021, Judge Juanita F. Bocanegra has served Ottawa County with fairness, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to justice.

• 1

  A Legacy Built in the Courtroom

  There is no shortcut to the kind of experience Judge Bocanegra brings to the bench. She earned it case by case, courtroom by courtroom as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney right here in Ottawa County and through years of private practice. She has stood on both sides of the aisle, argued the hard cases, and learned what justice truly demands from the inside out. What she brings to the bench was never written in a textbook, it was forged in the fire of real cases, real people, and real consequences.

• 2

  Ottawa County Is Home And Always Has Been

  Judge Bocanegra did not come to Ottawa County to build a career. She was raised by migrant farmworkers who put down roots in this community and never looked back. She attended school in these neighborhoods, built her legal career serving its people, and raised her own family in the same county that shaped her. She has walked these streets, sat in the same pews, bleachers, and community halls as the people she now serves. When she looks out from the bench, she does not see strangers. She sees her neighbors. This community gave her everything, and she has spent her life giving back to it.

• 3

  Trusted and Endorsed Across the Board

  Trust is earned, not given. Judge Bocanegra has won the endorsement of every presiding Ottawa County judge, retired judges, Court of Appeals judges, law enforcement leaders, attorneys, and community leaders — people who work in and around the courtroom every day and know exactly what integrity looks like. Their unanimous support speaks volumes. When the people who know justice best all agree, Ottawa County voters can too.

• 4

  Elected by the People, Trusted by Governors from Across the Political Spectrum

  Elected by Ottawa County voters to the bench in 2020, appointed to the Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan by governors from different political spectrums, and serving on the Fairness and Public Trust Commission. Judge Bocanegra has never stopped earning the trust placed in her. Beyond the bench, she has quietly and consistently given back by serving on a long list of community boards and organizations, year after year, to this day. For Judge Bocanegra, public service is not a title. It is a way of life.

• 5

  Accountability Balanced With Compassion

  As a bilingual and bicultural judge fluent in both English and Spanish, Judge Bocanegra believes that true justice is both firm and compassionate. Every person who stands before the 58th District Court deserves to be fully heard and genuinely understood. She holds the law with steady hands upholding accountability without losing sight of the human being in front of her. Because when Ottawa County residents walk into her courtroom, they deserve a judge who sees them not just a case.

• 6

  The Best Judge for Ottawa County

  Ottawa County deserves a judge who knows this community, not from the outside looking in, but from a lifetime of living in it. Judge Bocanegra made history as Ottawa County's first Latina judge, and she has spent every day since proving that history was just the beginning. Her story, her experience, and her heart make her the clear and compelling choice for re-election to the 58th District Court.