Judge Rachel Rancilio Appointed as Macomb County Circuit Court Chief Judge Pro Tempore

Chief Judge James Biernat of the Macomb Circuit Court has appointed Judge Rachel Rancilio as chief judge pro tempore effective Jan. 21.
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Judge Rachel Rancilio

Chief Judge James Biernat of the Macomb Circuit Court has appointed Judge Rachel Rancilio as chief judge pro tempore effective Jan. 21.

Judge Rancilio was elected to the circuit court bench on Nov. 8, 2016. Prior to her election, she was in private practice, specializing in complex domestic, civil, and criminal litigation.

Since taking the bench on Jan. 1, 2017, Rancilio has been assigned to the Family Division of the Macomb County Circuit Court and has served as the presiding judge of the Family

Division since Jan. 1, 2023. She has presided over hundreds of divorce and custody cases, juvenile matters, and neglect proceedings. In addition to her family court cases, Rancilio has been involved with the Court’s Adult Drug Court program since 2023.

Rancilio played Division 1 Softball while attending the University of Detroit Mercy on an academic scholarship. She subsequently attended Wayne State University Law School and was a member of Wayne State University’s Law Review.

Judge Matt Switalski, the current chief judge pro tempore, now is presiding judge of the Family Division. Switalski had been chief judge pro tempore since Jan. 1, 2016.