About Judge Aliyah Sabree

Aliyah Sabree is currently a judge presiding over traffic and misdemeanor cases at the 36th district court, adjudicating approximately 1,200 cases per month.

Prior to her current position, Aliyah was appointed as Associate General Counsel for the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD). In this role, she litigated on behalf of the department, reviewed contracts and negotiations, drafts ordinances, appeared before City Council, provided legal opinions to DWSD employees, and prepared intergovernmental cooperative agreements.

In 2014, Sabree was appointed by the Mayor of the City of Detroit to serve as his Liaison to the City Council.  She served as the chief communicator between the City’s Legislative and Executive branches and was responsible for lobbying the Administration’s legislative priorities. She advised the Mayor and his cabinet members on all issues pertaining to City Council.

Preceding her appointment to the Mayor’s Office, Sabree was appointed by the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners as the attorney and advisor for the Board. She conducted trial board appeals before the Board and the Police Chief. Additionally, she analyzed proposed rules and policies proffered by the Police Department, conducted training sessions for Commissioners, and advised the Board on a wide range of legal issues that affected the Board and the Police Department.

Sabree began her career with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the Special Operations Division where she spent close to four years prosecuting violent habitual offenders. While there, she tried over thirty capital jury trials and conducted educational training sessions in schools across Wayne County on a variety of topics, including the criminal justice system, sexting, cyber-bullying, and truancy.

In 2010 Sabree earned her Juris Doctorate from Michigan State University College of Law with a concentration in Alternative Dispute Resolution. She was an Executive Board Member for the Black Law Students Association and a member of the Diversity Consortium. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Youngstown State University while on a full athletic scholarship for basketball.

Sabree values education and family and is an active member of the Detroit community. She serves as an advisory board member for the Boll Family YMCA and a junior board member for the Wish Upon a Teen Organization. She is a member of the Kiwanis Club No.1 and the Wolverine Bar Association. Sabree volunteers with the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization and is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.