Richard Fred Suhrheinrich

Richard Fred Suhrheinrich is a senior United States circuit judge on the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Appointed to the federal bench in 1984 and elevated to the appellate court in 1990, he has served both as an active judge and, since 2001, as a senior judge who continues to hear cases. Prior to his judicial career, Suhrheinrich practiced law, taught at the university level, and held a prosecutorial position in Michigan.

Early life and legal career

Richard Fred Suhrheinrich was born on August 15, 1936, in Lincoln City, Indiana. He pursued higher education in Michigan, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree from Wayne State University in 1960. Continuing his studies at the Detroit College of Law—now part of Michigan State University College of Law—he earned a Juris Doctor with honors in 1963. Decades later he added an advanced legal credential, obtaining a Master of Laws from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1990.

Suhrheinrich’s early professional experience combined public service and private practice. In 1967 he served as an assistant prosecutor for Macomb County, Michigan, gaining courtroom experience on behalf of the county government. After several years in that role, he entered private practice, co‑founding a law firm with fellow attorney Richard Kitch. The firm, originally known as Kitch & Suhrheinrich, focused on defending medical malpractice claims and later expanded into a full‑service organization with multiple offices across Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois.

Alongside his practice, Suhrheinrich contributed to legal education. From 1975 until 1985 he held an associate professorship at the Detroit College of Law, where he taught courses for law students. Following his judicial service, he returned to academia as a Distinguished Jurist & Professor at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, delivering instruction in various areas of law.

Federal appellate service

Suhrheinrich’s federal judicial career began with an appointment to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. President Ronald Reagan nominated him on September 6, 1984, to fill the vacancy created by Judge R. James Harvey. The Senate confirmed his nomination on October 3, 1984, and he received his commission the following day. He served as a district judge for nearly six years, handling civil and criminal matters within the Eastern District of Michigan.

On April 18, 1990 President George H. W. Bush nominated Suhrheinrich to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, filling the seat vacated by Judge Albert J. Engel Jr. The Senate confirmed this appointment on June 28, 1990, and he received his commission on July 10, 1990. While serving as an active circuit judge, Suhrheinrich participated in panels that reviewed appeals from district courts within the Sixth Circuit’s jurisdiction, which includes Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

After more than a decade of active service, Suhrheinrich assumed senior status on his 65th birthday, August 15, 2001. In senior status he retained the authority to hear cases, contributing to the court’s workload while allowing for the appointment of a new full‑time judge; Judge David McKeague succeeded him in the active seat. Suhrheinrich continued to sit on panels and issue opinions as a senior judge, maintaining an active role on the Sixth Circuit until his retirement in 2025.

Jurisprudence and legacy

Among the opinions authored by Judge Suhrheinrich, the case of *ACLU v. Mercer County* (December 22, 2005) received notable public attention. Writing for a unanimous three‑judge panel, he upheld the display of the Ten Commandments in a Kentucky courthouse. In his reasoning, Suhrheinrich concluded that the United States Constitution does not require an absolute “wall of separation between church and state,” rejecting the plaintiff’s claim that such a display violated the Establishment Clause. He also expressed criticism of repeated references to the concept of separation, describing it as an extra‑constitutional construct that had become tiresome. The opinion was joined by Judge Alice M. Batchelder, while District Judge Walter Herbert Rice concurred in the judgment without joining the full opinion.

Suhrheinrich’s judicial record reflects a blend of his prosecutorial background, private practice experience, and academic involvement. His decisions on the Sixth Circuit have contributed to the development of federal appellate law across a range of issues, from constitutional questions such as religious displays in public buildings to matters arising from the circuit’s diverse jurisdiction. The longevity of his service—spanning more than four decades on the federal bench—and his continued engagement with legal education underscore a career dedicated to both adjudication and mentorship within the legal community.

Through his work as a district judge, appellate judge, senior jurist, and law professor, Suhrheinrich has left an imprint on the judiciary of the Sixth Circuit. His participation in high‑profile cases, combined with his ongoing contributions to teaching future lawyers, illustrates a professional trajectory that bridges practical courtroom experience and scholarly instruction. While retired from active judicial duties in 2025, his legacy persists through the opinions he authored, the judges who succeeded him, and the students he instructed throughout his academic appointments.