Judge Donald Allen was appointed to the 55th District Court by Governor Jennifer Granholm on December 22, 2008, and was elected to a six-year term in 2010. His current term expires January 1, 2017.

Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Allen served as director of the Michigan Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP), beginning that role on June 5, 2006. Before that, he served as deputy legal counsel on the Governor’s legal staff, where he was part of the senior team and oversaw matters related to emergency management, homeland security, and criminal justice.

A 1983 graduate of Wayne State University Law School, Judge Allen spent the majority of his legal career as an Assistant Attorney General for the Michigan Department of Attorney General from 1988 to 2005. His assignments included the Social Services, Revenue, Corrections, and Health Care Fraud divisions, with a focus on litigation. He also served on the department’s Litigation Advisory Board and, in his final assignment with the Health Care Fraud Division, prosecuted high-profile criminal and civil cases.

As a dedicated sobriety court judge, Judge Allen has witnessed the profound impact of opioid addiction on young adults and their families.