Judges
Judge Victoria Shackelford
Victoria I. Shackelford is the Chief Judge of the 23rd District Court in the City of Taylor.
Judge Shackelford formally served as a Wayne County assistant prosecutor. She was the lead of the office’s arson unit and previously worked in the community prosecution and homicide units. Before that, worked as an attorney with Goldin and Associates, PLLC and Freedman, Krochmal and Goldin, PLLC where she practiced criminal law and worked as a public defender. She also worked as a member of the 33rd District Court’s Sobriety Court program.
Judge Shackelford earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Toledo College of Law and Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Eastern Michigan University. She is the director of legal education for FAIR Michigan and the treasurer of Downriver Families Against Narcotics. She lives in Taylor with her wife Amy and three sons, Andrew, Maxwell, and Mason.
Judge Brittany Johnson (left) with Chief Judge Victoria Shackelford of the 23rd District Court in Taylor.
Judge Brittany Johnson
Brittany Johnson was sworn in as the newest judge in Taylor’s 23rd District Court on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
The former assistant prosecutor for Wayne County was appointed to the bench by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to fill a vacancy and approved by the State Supreme Court.
A resident of Taylor, Judge Johnson has been serving as an assistant prosecuting attorney with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office since 2019. She was previously a law clerk in Dearborn and a legislative extern for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. She also serves as a board member at the Government Bar Association.
She holds a law degree from the Michigan State University College of Law, along with a Master of Social Work from MSU and a Bachelor of Science in psychology and criminal justice from Grand Valley State University.