Bowman is already serving a life sentence for a murder he committed in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1980, where he had reported for his two-week annual active drill as a member of the Navy reserves. ALLEGAN Judge Roberts Kengis took over supervision of the 48th Circuit Court on Jan. 1 as chief judge after he was appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court to replace Judge Margaret. 48th Judicial Circuit Court
Justices Christopher Murray and Jane Markey were in the majority, saying the emails didnt provide an advantage to the prosecution. The emails were made public by Villar during the 2020 Republican primary for the Allegan prosecutor post. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Kengis replaces Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker who had been elected to the circuit court in 2010. The Michigan Supreme Court is providing the information on this website as a public service. Lynch told The Sentinel on Friday the most recent decision to hear arguments indicates the high court's interest in issues it deems of "significant public concern.". Gov. Judge Kengis noted that Field will be sentenced before him on Friday, Sept. 10 in Cass County Circuit Court at 8:30 a.m. Penny Brown . Allegan County Circuit Judge Margaret Zuzich-Bakker (MLive File Photo)Emil Lippe | MLive.com. Koch was named to the position by Chief Circuit Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker, on Tuesday. On Jan. 1, the Michigan Supreme Court announced Judge Roberts Kengis would replace Bakker in supervising the 48th Circuit Court. ALLEGAN Two Allegan County judges have recused themselves from hearing the case of Daniel Loew, who is asking for a new trial after emails between the judge and the Allegan County Prosecuting Attorney were released during the prosecutors re-election campaign. ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI - A judge ordered a retrial for a man convicted of sexual assault because the trial judge emailed the county prosecutor - who was not trying the case - during. Friday, Judge Kengis kept Fields bond the same. Michigan is one of 43 states that hold elections for judicial positions. County Clerk, Judge, or Other Info: Staff: George R. Corsiglia (Chief Judge), William A. Baillargeon Hours: Open Weekdays 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Additional: Frederick Anderson (Prosecuting Attorney), Margaret Zuzich Bakker (Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney); Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys: Douglas E. Ketchum, Roberts A. Kengis, Steven J. Lanting, Myrene K. Koch, Daniel Norbeck, Judy H . The emails were something between idle chat and administrative communication.. ALLEGAN Should a criminal defendant in Allegan County get a new trial after claiming he didn't get a fair shake? Chief Circuit Court Judge, Honorable Margaret Zuzich Bakker
More:Appeals court walks back new trial for man after prosecutor, judge emailed during trial. Jury trials routinely require two to three days to decide amidst other . In the nonpartisan primary, the two candidates who receive the greatest number of votes advance to the general election. The same date Kengis starts as a Circuit Judge. To learn more about judicial selection in Michigan, click here. His case was bound over for a jury trial in Allegan County's 48th Circuit Court last month. Lynch responded: Thats not the point. Ballotpedia features 395,436 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. The appointment was made by the Michigan Supreme Court after reviewing applications completed by the candidates. This trooper has been given additional personal training since this investigation., Bakker then wrote: One more question..this victim was not referred for a medical, do you know why?, Koch replied a few minutes later: Yes, because the prior (assistant prosecuting attorney) assigned to the case did not catch that it was missed nor did anyone else who touched the file., Lynch said that the ex parte communication, or communication with only one side, showed bias and violated the Code of Judicial Conduct. In the same order appointing Kengis, the Court also reappointed Judge Michael Buck to chief probate court judge for Allegan County and Judge Joseph Skocelas to chief judge of the 57th District Court. Loew currently is free while awaiting the outcome of his appeal. The rest of the charges against Field will be dismissed including charges of criminal sexual conduct and no additional charges will be brought against him from the investigation. Presiding Family Court Judge, Allegan County, Michigan
The chief judge holds "administrative superintending power and control over the judges of the court and all court personnel, including the friend of the court," according to Michigan Court Rule, managing staffing, caseload, court finances, making county clerk and prosecutor's office appointments and managing assignment and reassignment of cases. Allegan, MI 49010, Design By Granicus - Connecting People & Government. 113 Chestnut Street, Allegan, MI 49010 Allegan County Court System Type: Civil, General Civil - Unlimited, General Civil - Limited, Small Claims, Complex Commercial, Foreclosures and Liens, Real Estate Title and Boundary, Criminal, Mental Health Division: Contact Information: Phone Number: 269-673-0400 Fax: 269-673-0490 Dobrich said Allegan Circuit Judge Roberts Kengis will preside over the trial, which will take place in Cassopolis. 113 Chestnut Street, Allegan, MI49010 If there are more than twice the number of candidates than there are judgeships up for election, the race will appear on the primary election ballot. He replaces Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker, who served 11 years as chief judge. Redistricting Maps Take Affect for 2022 Elections. Michigan Probate Courts, Courts in Michigan Michigan judicial elections Judicial selection in Michigan. Lynch said that emails obtained through the Freedom of Information Act showed improper communication between the trial judge, Margaret Zuzich-Bakker, and the prosecutor, regarding substantive matters that gave the prosecution a tactical advantage.. The appeal was heard by Allegan County District Judge William Baillargeon. Dont they have detectives anymore?, The next morning, Koch replied: They do but not typically for CSCs. Appeals from the Western District go to the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. The victim was a student of Fields at SMC and also went to him for counseling at the Family Center in Dowagiac. Betty Kortman . Contact her at sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com or follow her on Twitter @SentinelLeach. Herman was a member of the board of directors of the counseling center where Field worked and where some of the incidents took place. Marcia Johnson. The case was tried by assistant prosecuting attorney Emily Jipp. I will add that this case was decided by a jury based on the evidence presented in the courtroom. Through a Freedom of Information Act request, Villar obtained emails sent during Loews case between Koch and Bakker in which Bakker wrote to Koch regarding the police: (T)his trooper didnt do a very good investigation. 113 Chestnut St.
.courts-container hr {background-color:#f0a236;padding-bottom:2px;}, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Michigan Supreme Court The same date Kengis starts as a Circuit Judge. Apply today! Judge Kengis noted that Field will be sentenced before him on Friday, Sept. 10 in Cass County Circuit Court at 8:30 a.m. Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Jennifer Garcia. Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below. All rights reserved. Circuit Court Judge, Honorable Michael Buck
The sentences run concurrently. The people of Allegan County are served by the Michigan Third District Court of Appeals, a circuit court, district court, and probate court. [1], If two or more candidates in a race receive the same number of votes, the election is to be decided by lot. Koch has served as an assistant prosecutor since July of 2002, and as the Chief Assistant Prosecutor since last June. "The recommendation was timely as Chief Judge Kengis advises the number of potential jury trials awaiting scheduling is over one hundred. Allegan County Friend of the Court et al 1:2021cv00195 | US District Court for the Western District of Michigan | Justia Collet v. Allegan County Friend of the Court et al RSS Track this Docket Docket Report This docket was last retrieved on March 3, 2021. After the emails were discovered, Villar saidhe filed complaints against Koch and Bakker with the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission and Attorney Grievance Commission, respectively. Allegan County Circuit Court Judge Roberts Kengis was asked to disqualify himself from the case and agreed to do so in a hearing Thursday. In a hearing Thursday, Judge Roberts Kengis alerted the. 100 largest cities in America by population, United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, Michigan Fifty-seventh Judicial District Court, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2023, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2022, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2021, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2020, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2019, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2018, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2017, Michigan local trial court judicial elections, 2016, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Allegan_County,_Michigan_(Judicial)&oldid=7667650, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at cmuyskens@hollandsentinel.com and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens. ", Koch responded, "They do but not typically for CSCs. They have four children. They began investigating and recommended she contact the sheriffs department. Rick Snyder on Wednesday, Feb. 28 . Bakker, who remains on the bench, served in the role for 11. He was elected to a six-year term in 2020. Bowman, 72, is charged with her murder. Community Volunteer . Loews attorneys are alleging prosecutorial misconduct occurred based on the emails, which they say they learned of in June. Copyright 2023, Wilcox Newspapers. Jan Murray. In the motion for a new trial, the Defense team did not allege nor did the Judge cite any actual bias or impact on the integrity of the trial based on those communications.. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. In response to the allegations brought by Loews attorney, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Molly Schikora said the three emails sent by the judge had no bearing on the case and were not intended to help the prosecution. "Maybe it wasn't the case, but it creates the appearance of coaching, or at least flagging, 'This is something you're going to need to address,' and that's my worry," Baillargeon said. Neither side objected in court to Kengis'decision to recuse himself. If any of these apply to you, contact the court to verify they observe the exemption. Allegan County, All civil cases at law over $300., Civil cases in equity., Proceedings in habeas corpus., Felonies and misdemeanors, Proceedings in quo warranto., Prohibition and certiorari cases., Appeals from magistrate court, municipal court, and administrative agenc, Phone Number: 269-673-0300 Bakker was Allegan County's first female circuit court judge. The Michigan Supreme Court will ultimately decide after agreeing to hear oral arguments in the case of Daniel Loew. The murder was onlyconnected to Bowman in 2018 when detectives used a genealogy database searchingtechnique toidentify a DNA sample from the decades-old case. The prosecutor said the emails and information were not shared with the assistant prosecutor trying the case. The plea agreement was announced Friday afternoon in a court hearing before Judge Roberts Kengis. Michigan District Courts Judge Bakker says, "Myrene has demonstrated an outstanding ability to represent the peoples interests in criminal prosecutions before this Court and as Chief Assistant has demonstrated strong administrative abilities that will serve her and the County of Allegan well as Prosecutor.. Bakker also asked why the victim in the case had not been given a medical exam. Allegan County Sheriff's Office Sheriff. The status of those grievances is unknown, as the merits of Loew's appeal are still pending. Kengis and Bakker have worked closely together over the years when making final decisions on a variety of issues. if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; .courts-container { background-color:#fcfcfc; width:100%; border:1px solid black;padding:5px;text-align:center;clear:both; } Bakker, who remains on the bench, served in the role for 11 years. The Allegan County decisions included the new appointment of the Honorable Roberts A. Kengis as chief justice of the 48 th Circuit Court, and the chief judge reappointment of the Honorable Michael L. Buck to the Allegan County Probate Court and the Honorable Joseph S. Skocelas to the 57 th District Court. Michigan Circuit Court More:Hamilton man pleads guilty to 1980 murder of Virginia woman, More:Wife: Hamilton man killed their daughter in 1989, dismembered and buried body. Kengis was the chief prosecuting attorney when Loew was charged with criminal sexual conduct in 2018. His case was bound over for a jury trial in Allegan County's 48th Circuit Court last month. SMC completed its investigation in late September 2017 when they fired Field. AGC investigations are confidential, and investigations of the Judicial Tenure Commission only become public if the commission decides to proceed with a formal complaint against the judge, typically reserved for allegations of serious misconduct. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. This county is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates. She said the jury reached the decision. Honorable Michael L. Buck . Subscribe:Receive 3 months of all-access to The Sentinel's award-winning digital coverage for $1. A more recent docket listing may be available from PACER . In the emails, Bakker wrote to Koch: "This trooper didnt do a very good investigation. Judge Kengis is an Allegan Circuit judge who was assigned the case when Cass County Circuit Judge Mark Herman recused himself. Koch a 1992 graduate of Michigan State received her JD from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1999. 269-226-5014. craig.chindemi@ascension.org. Judges Elections Allegan County, Michigan Circuit Court 48th Circuit Court, Michigan Margaret Bakker (Chief judge) Kevin W. Cronin [1] District Court Michigan Fifty-seventh Judicial District Court William Baillargeon (Chief judge) Joseph S. Skocelas [2] Probate Court Allegan County Probate Court, Michigan Michael L. Buck [3] See also He said Field will be given the opportunity to withdraw his plea if Kengis decides to sentence him to more than a year in jail or change any other terms of the agreement. I did not discuss those communications with the Assistant Prosecutor trying the case. Contact Info (269) 673-8471 Questions & Answers Q What is the phone number for Judiciary Courts of the Stt? Judge Kengis relied on the testimony from the 2018 preliminary hearing in the case for his findings of fact in accepting Fields plea. Message to the Board of Commissioners, Prosecutor Koch, Judge Kengis, Judge Bakker, Sheriff Baker and the people who witness unconstitutional and corrupt actions in Allegan County and do nothing.. The communications provided nothing of any tactical use to the prosecution, even if Defendant had been able to show Ms. Jipp was aware of them. Ex parte translates from Latin to mean out of the party; in the context of the legal system, it is communication about a case between a judge and one sides attorney that occurs without the other partys counsel present. 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