Judge Paul Steven Jancha was elected to the District Court Bench in 2022. He is assigned to the Criminal Division in St. Joseph.
Education
Judge Jancha is a lifelong resident of Berrien County. He grew up in Berrien Springs and St. Joseph, graduating from St. Joseph Public High School in 2002. He earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame in 2006, and graduated with honors from Michigan State University College of Law in 2009.
Service and Experience
Prior to his election, Judge Jancha served as Berrien County’s Chief Public Defender from 2020 to 2022, and Chief Assistant Public Defender from 2019 to 2020. He was previously a partner with Jancha Law Offices in St. Joseph from 2009 to 2019.
Judge Jancha is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Berrien County Bar Association, the Notre Dame Alumni Association, and a parishioner of St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Family
Judge Jancha and his wife, Monica, reside in Royalton Township with their three sons.