Judge, 30th Circuit Court (Ingham County, Mich.)

Hon. James S. Jamo

Bench Watch Brief · Profile in brief

James S. “Jim” Jamo is an Ingham County Circuit Court judge, first elected in 2012 after 28 years as a civil litigator. He sentenced Marshawn James Curtis to 17.5 to 80 years in the untested-rape-kit case, at the top of the guidelines. He also sits on the state's business court.

Before the bench

Civil litigator for 28 years; partner at Grua, Jamo & Young. On the bench he has handled criminal and civil cases and presided over a mental health court for felony offenders. Business court judge since 2025.

Highlights and issues

Notable rulingMarch 19, 2026
His Curtis sentence, at the top of the guidelines, is upheld on appeal
Notable rulingDecember 17, 2025
Gives probation to two former aides to former House Speaker Lee Chatfield under plea deals
ElectionMarch 6, 2025
Named to the business court for a term to 2031
Reversed on appealApril 23, 2020
Appeals court orders resentencing over guidelines scoring errors (People v. Vary)
Notable rulingOctober 23, 2018
His ruling that ex-Rep. Todd Courser had no legislative immunity from a perjury charge is upheld (published)
ElectionNovember 6, 2012
Elected to an open seat with 54.57% of the vote

Tracker · covers 2015–2026 · updated November 14, 2026

Judge James S. Jamo's record in serious criminal cases

Bench Watch logs sentences by Judge James S. Jamo of Michigan's Ingham County Circuit Court in serious criminal cases, from Court of Appeals opinions, the Attorney General and news reports. It isn't a complete record. Where the guidelines were reported, five of his sentences were within them and two were above; one of those was vacated because he gave no reasons.

12 entries · select a column to sort

						Source
2026	People v. Douglas Bain Thwaites	Sentence: first-degree criminal sexual conduct and unlawful imprisonment, fourth-offense habitual offender	40 to 80 years (480 to 960 months)		Guidelines not stated in the opinion; affirmed	Source
2026	People v. Maliki Pendergrass	Sentence: safe storage of a firearm resulting in a child's death, possessing a firearm as a prohibited person, and felony-firearm (guilty plea)	Effectively 14 to 32 years as a third-offense habitual offender			Source
2025	People v. Joshua Piland and Rachel Piland	Sentences: second-degree murder and first-degree child abuse in an infant's death	20 to 45 years each	The prosecutor stressed that the parents refused medical care; Joshua Piland asked for leniency	Guidelines not reported	Source
2025	People v. Walter Jemison	Sentence: assault with intent to murder	30 to 60 years		The midpoint of the 22.5-to-37.5-year guidelines; affirmed	Source
2025	People v. Devon Carl Baldwin	Sentence: second-degree murder, third-offense habitual offender	50 to 66.7 years (600 to 800 months)		Within the guidelines (365 to 900 months or life); affirmed	Source
2024Election year	People v. Marshawn James Curtis	Sentence: first-degree criminal sexual conduct (untested rape kit)	17.5 to 80 years		At the top of the 10.5-to-17.5-year guidelines; affirmed	SourceCase file
2023	People v. Damerious Robert Church	Sentence: two counts of second-degree murder and drunk driving causing death	27 to 50 years (324 to 600 months)		Affirmed	Source
2022	An Ingham County man (name withheld to protect a child)	Resentence: second-degree child abuse (third judge to sentence him)	141 to 240 months		Above the 43-to-129-month guidelines but below two earlier vacated sentences; affirmed	Source
2022	People v. Douglas Hill	Sentence: two counts of second-degree murder (guilty plea)	30 to 50 years			Source
2020	An Ingham County man (name withheld to protect a child)	Resentence: first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving children	225 months to 55 years		Within the guidelines, after his first sentence was vacated; affirmed	Source
2018	An Ingham County man (name withheld to protect a child)	Sentence: first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving children	25 to 55 years		Above the 135-to-225-month guidelines on three counts with no reasons given; vacated	Source
2015	People v. John Coryell Kelsey II	Sentence: fleeing and eluding causing a sheriff's deputy's death	20 to 45 years, with a habitual-offender enhancement		Within the 84-to-280-month guidelines; kept on remand; affirmed	Source

We flag election years because studies of judges in Pennsylvania, Washington and North Carolina found sentences grew harsher as contested elections approached. A flag isn't a finding about this judge; it lets you compare.

How we built this, and what's missing

Cases we follow in this courtroom

Video · WDIV Local 4
AppealDecided
People of the State of Michigan v. Marshawn James Curtis
Mich. Ct. App. · No. Mich. Ct. App. No. 369945
A rape kit from a 2012 Lansing assault sat untested after prosecutors declined to charge. Sent to a lab in 2016 as part of a statewide initiative, the kit's DNA was later matched to Marshawn James Curtis, whom an Ingham County jury convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in 2023. The Michigan Court of Appeals upheld the conviction on March 19, 2026, and court records show no further appeal.
Updated November 14, 2026 · 2 min read

Sources

ICLE: biographyOther
Ingham County sample ballot, Nov. 5, 2024Other · November 5, 2024
Judicial Tenure Commission: public discipline listOther
Ballotpedia: Jim JamoOther