COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Branch County Circuit Court Judge Bill O’Grady has announced his resignation, effective January 1, 2026, to pursue a new government position and be closer to family in the Detroit suburbs.
O’Grady, who has served as the sole circuit judge for Branch County since his election in 2008, made his decision public over the weekend . His departure marks the end of nearly two decades of service on the trial court bench, during which he presided over thousands of cases spanning criminal jury trials, civil law, and family law matters.
Before his judicial career, O’Grady served for six years as a Michigan State Police trooper, working in the metro Detroit and Ann Arbor areas, while attending Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
Following law school, he worked as an assistant prosecutor in Branch County for eight years before successfully running for the circuit court seat in 2008.
His resignation creates a vacancy that will be filled on an interim basis through an appointment from Governor Gretchen Whitmer until an election in November 2026.
O’Grady cited a desire to be closer to family in the Detroit suburbs as a reason for stepping down and taking a new government position there.
Best thing he ever did for Branch County!