The Honorable Vonda R. Evans, a retired judge, has presided over legal cases for the citizens of Detroit and its surrounding municipalities in the County of Wayne for 22 years.

Evans attended and graduated from North Carolina A & T State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts. She later earned her Juris Doctorate from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. After passing the Michigan Bar she became an attorney at the age of 25. Prior to becoming a judge, she was a Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor. She served in the Criminal and Family Divisions for many years. Evans was the last judge elected to the Recorder’s Court bench, where she was the youngest judge on the bench to be elected at that time.

Known for her effervescent personality and unconventional courtroom demeanor and style, Evans has had the privilege of presiding over numerous high profile media cases in Wayne County. Her most noted cases include the William Melendez trial, a police officer convicted of assaulting a motorist; Robert Bashara, a prominent businessman who participated in a BDSM lifestyle and conspired to kill his wife in a suburban city of Detroit; and DeAndre Lane, a father convicted of killing his infant daughter. Evans has presided over countless other significant trials during her tenure in the Criminal Division of Wayne County Third Circuit Court.

Her extensive experience in the law, her charismatic and “electric” personality, combined with her intelligence has earned her a reputation for effectively communicating with countless litigants. Her levelheadedness coupled with her wisdom and no-nonsense attitude allowed her to justly resolve legal issues. This approach has also made her courtroom popular among “court watchers,” many of whom regularly return to witness her effectively “meting out justice.” Evans has even gained national attention as a judge appearing on Dateline, Court TV, Court Cam and Inside Edition. Her cases have been viewed on the internet and social media over 25 million times.

After twenty-two years as a Wayne County Circuit Court Judge she retired and currently heads her own law firm, Vonda’s Law, handling business disputes, insurance claims, police misconduct, and medical malpractice cases. She also dishes out socially engaging affirmations on her YouTube channel and social media accounts with over a 100,000 subscribers.

She is the mother of two daughters; Lauren, a Louisiana State University graduate and Naomi, a graduate of Michigan State University.