For the first time since 1995, Grosse Pointe Park has a new municipal judge. John Parnell Jr. is a lawyer based out of Grosse Pointe Farms who entered the position in January 2026. He follows Carl Jarboe, who served for 31 years as the municipal judge in the Park. Parnell ran for the position in 2025 and secured it in November; he ran unopposed in the local election.
Parnell’s father was a major source of inspiration for him to enter the world of law. Practicing for 15 years with his dad, Parnell learned many important aspects of being a lawyer.
“I handled the criminal defense cases, or landlord tenants, or divorces and I learned a lot,” Parnell said. “I learned how to handle myself in a courtroom. After eight or ten years of practice, I whittled my practice down to estates, probate and real estate, but I love those other areas of law, too.”
The idea of becoming a municipal judge in Grosse Pointe had long been a goal for Parnell. His father had also hoped to become a judge, but it never ended up panning out.
“We had Matt Rumora on the bench in the Farms for so many years, and by the time my dad was retiring, that’s when the position started to open up,” Parnell said. “So it didn’t work out for him.”
Parnell began to focus on the possibility of becoming a municipal judge in Grosse Pointe Park. Instead of district courts covering multiple cities, each Grosse Pointe has its own municipal court system, which attracted Parnell to the position even more.
“If I had an issue or problem in Grosse Pointe Park, my case is going to be heard by the judge who also lives in Grosse Pointe Park and is familiar with the issues and problems in the Park,” Parnell said. “I don’t have to take that case to Harper Woods and handle it in a district court who may have separate issues and problems.”
After finding out that Jarboe planned on retiring, Parnell began his campaign for the municipal judge position in March 2025. He hired consultants and prepared flyers and signs to promote his campaign. However, none of it ended up being necessary.
“I was shocked when I found out I wasn’t going to have any challengers… no one ever thought that this position would go unopposed,” Parnell said. “I found that out in August, after we put in a lot of the legwork. It was time-consuming, but a lot of fun.”
Parnell sees Jarboe as a major source of inspiration for his future in the position. He looks up to the massive amount of work Jarboe accomplished during his tenure, hoping to build on that success.
“He did such a great job over the years, just making sure the court ran with efficiency and fairness,” Parnell said. “They’re big shoes to fill, but I intend to keep it running just as efficiently and fairly.”
