Still he held his head high and we walked forward. The emails between Koch and Judge Margaret Bakker showed the two discussing the case while Loew's trial was occurring in Bakker's courtroom. Judge Bakker is a personal friend of the appoint. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. .infobox { word-wrap: break-word; Party Name. His numerous assaults, his behavior in this case, other convictions all indicate Mr. .widget-key { 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). ALLEGAN, Mich. (AP) A man convicted of criminal sexual conduct doesn't deserve a new trial despite learning that the judge was sharing her opinion of the case through emails with the Allegan County prosecutor, the Michigan Court of Appeals said. Thank you for taking your time to read our story. Koch wasnt the trial prosecutor. It had came to our attention that the courts decide custody based on the best interest of the child(ren) and they come to that decision based on the Factors in the Child Custody Act. Primarily these are 11 factors, but there is a 12th factor (L) that is available if any other factor needs to be considered to be of relevance to the custody hearing. Cronin says the county covered Bakkers legal fees, about $36,000, but has refused to pay his costs of nearly $20,000. Circuit Judge Margaret Bakker has announced plans to seek re-election to the judgeship to which she was voted to in 2010. It centers around Cronins hiring of a legal clerk Bakker had previously fired. Indeed, Judge Bakkers legal counsel, Miller Johnson, which is the countys labor counsel, charged and was paid by the defendants fees and costs approximately twice as large as Judge Cronins for similar work in the same dispute.. Yes, at my husbands Evidentiary Hearing Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker refused to hear the evidence. Joan Young Oakland County Justices Christopher Murray and Jane Markey were in the majority, saying the emails didnt provide an advantage to the prosecution. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. The unsure fate of Biden's student loan forgiveness plan and more news to start your Thursday. The current Allegan County Prosecutor is manipulating the system for political gain. Cronin and Bakker are the only Circuit Court judges in Allegan County, southwest of Grand Rapids, but Bakker is the chief judge. The reason ex parte communications are frowned on, is the judge is supposed to be a neutral decision maker and the whole concept of a court case is that in order to give due process, its important for each person to understand what is being told to the judge regarding the matter so they can respond and address whatever is alleged against them. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday called on China to refrain from sending weapons to Russia and instead use its influence to press Moscow for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. [6], The 221 judges of the Michigan Circuit Courts are selected in an identical manner, each serving six-year terms. ", More: Panel: Judge should not have blocked expungement for manslaughter conviction, More: Court rejects appeal in victim's suit against GVSU, Ottawa County police, More: Holland Pereddies murderer appealing life sentence again. During this year, my husband regularly attempts contact with Cheyanna through Aneashas phone, Cheyannas phone (which Aneasha receive and is affectionately on the street referred to as an Obama phone) , email, Facebook messages in which nearly all go unanswered and unreturned. Privacy Request. 57th District Court. Ballotpedia features 395,443 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. He was not given the mid-week visit, and he had to bargain some of his summer Parenting Time just to get Joint Legal custody which was at Aneashas discretion NOT Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker. 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Aneashas own words were degrading and belittling Jamie and our Daughter Isabella in the presence of Cheyanna. They are chosen in nonpartisan elections and must face re-election if they wish to continue serving. Who has the money to fly roundtrip every other weekend for two days? Follow her on Twitter @SentinelAudra. Instead, Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker pulled our attorney, which we spent a year saving to retain, to the side and said there was no point in continuing onto the hearing due to the Defendant not being a stable factor in the childs life. Hearing Info. Judge Bakker is a founding member of Sylvia's Place, Allegan County's non-profit organization that addresses issues of interpersonal violence and is also a founding member of the Allegan County Legal Assistance Center and serves on the Board of Directors. How is the court looking out for the best interest of the child (ren) when the court encourages and alienates (usually FATHERS) from the child (ren)? First published on January 17, 2022 / 11:22 AM. Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at cmuyskens@hollandsentinel.com and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens. Results only include existing Virtual Courtrooms. display: inline-block; Michigan District Courts The biweekly print edition of GRBJ, a must-read for the area's top decision-makers, is known as the business newspaper of metro Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon and all of West Michigan. [2] The county seat is Allegan. DAWHO DEBITSPORT/. Related: Allegan judge to colleague: 'I'm not your junior associate emotional whipping boy'. [1][2] She ran for re-election in 2016. Of course, these accusations came after my husband threatened to petition the court for visitation. A circuit court judge in Allegan County affirmed the order when Tato's owners, Katie and Ray Lopez, appealed. Margaret Bakker Allegan County Hon. Kengis will continue as Prosecuting Attorney until March. Dont they have detectives with MSP anymore? Help Center We had multiple police reports with Domestic Violence occurring in the home of Aneasha so bad that on the last incident the police utilized a batting ram on a steel door to gain entrance. Contact her at sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com or follow her on Twitter @SentinelLeach. Allegan County Prosecutor Myrene Koch said Bowman will be sent back to Virginia to serve out his sentences there. Get unlimited access to our breaking news and local coverage, Appeals court walks back new trial for man after prosecutor, judge emailed during trial, Kengis replaces Bakker as 48th Circuit Court chief judge, Whitmer signs bill to give Ottawa County 5th judgeship, assistant prosecuting attorney Paul Kraus, Bakker files for re-election to Allegan County judgeship, 7 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score Right Now, The Secret to Saving More Money Has to Do With Your Personality: Study, Moving to a Cheaper City Can Net You an Extra $100,000 in Retirement. Beyond the law-clerk fiasco, Bakker told Cronin to stop ordering costly transcripts of court hearings, and stop setting 5 p.m. hearings that kept workers late and left the building without security officers. [3], Bakker received her J.D. background-color: grey; He obtained the emails through a Freedom of Information Act request. Its the latest chapter in a dispute that resulted in intervention by the state Supreme Court. We have documents in Aneashas own words admitting that she cut contact to give to Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker to provide proof that even though my husband had been absent for a year he still kept attempting contact. Bakker serves on the statewide Justice for All Commission as representative of the Michigan Judges Association. Daniel Loew The emails between Koch and. Contact 48th Judicial Circuit Court 113 Chestnut St. Allegan, MI 49010 (269) 673-0300 Judges Honorable Roberts Kengis Chief Circuit Court Judge Honorable Margaret Zuzich Bakker Circuit Court Judge Honorable Michael Buck Presiding Family Court Judge The Grand Rapids Business Journal is published by Crain Communications. margin-bottom: 0; Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker clearly has biased and this prevents her from doing what she was appointed to do. .widget-row.Libertarian { A few months into our relationship, Aneasha visibly threatened by our relationship quite possibly out of jealousy had begun started using Cheyanna as a bargaining tool. The judge said it would have made him eligible for parole in 15 years. Judge Kent Engle of the 20th Circuit Court's family division and Judge Judy Mulder of the 58th District Court's Hudsonville courtroom are also seeking reelection. He wants the Supreme Court to order her to stand down. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. In 2002, they were blessed with a vibrant, smart, and beautiful little girl who then blessed my life in early 2010. padding-left: 10px; Candidates are placed on the ballot via nonpartisan primaries or by nominating petitions. [8], The chief judges of the circuit courts are appointed by the state supreme court to two-year terms. width: 250px; After many years of reading, watching, and hearing stories of corruption that word tends to take on a dramatic role that really doesnt have a place in most regular peoples lives. color: black; What I am hoping to achieve at the VERY least is first and foremost in having Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker removed from the bench. All I ask is of you, as the reader, is a few moments of your time to finish reading this, and in the end help if the ability is there or pass this along to someone who can help. Cronin contends he tried to have the dispute over Andersons hiring mediated but he was forced to ask the Supreme Court to intervene. He was convicted of five counts of criminal sexual misconduct and sentenced to at least 20 years in prison. Cronin's attorney, Douglas Van Essen, said that he can certainly recognize a court labor mess when I see it, and this may be one in a class of its own., He asked the Supreme Court to intervene early on when Cronin could not convince county officials that the dispute should be mediated. The victim was 13 at the time of the first reported assault. According to Bob Edick, the deputy administrator at the Attorney Grievance Commission, a decision about the complaint against Koch wont be made before Tuesdays primary election. Sitting judges had to declare their intentions to seek reelection by March 21. Now, I realize that I may not have much knowledge about our legal system but that seems rather ironic to me. [1] [2] She ran for re-election in 2016.
Allegan judge to colleague: 'I'm not your junior associate emotional whipping boy'. ", Koch responded, "They do but not typically for CSCs. Van Essen said that Bakker asked the county to cover Cronins legal bills. Equity markets soared in January then gave back half of their gains in February as the New Year rally ran out of steam. .widget-row.value-only { I can understand if along the way visitation is modified and support continues, but to start support and not even give the other parent at least the bare minimum of the countys Parenting Time is a travesty. The current Prosecutor was hand-selected and appointed by Circuit Judge Margaret Bakker in March of this year without any application process whatsoever. Prior to becoming a judge, Bakker worked in the county prosecutor's office for 28 years. Allan explained that the Allegan County Legal Assistance Center which has been in operation since 2012, we have Judge Bakker, Sheriff Baker, Linda Teeter and Avery Rose from Probate Court present tonight. This trooper has been given additional personal training since this investigation. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. background-color: #f9f9f9; Bowman and his wife adopted Aundria as a baby. be a qualified elector of his or her district; be licensed to practice law in the state; have at least five years of law practice experience; and. Its unfortunate for those people (my personal opinion is MEN) who are trapped in her biased, and man hating ways. Cronin, in one of numerous emails, responded: Your interference and micro management is most unwelcome and I consider it an interference with my essential functions, my discretion and my independence., In another email, he wrote, Ive tried to make allowances for the fact that our jobs as judges are difficult and stressful, but there are limits, Marge. Edick said while he is unable to confirm or deny the existence of individual grievances, in general, requests for investigations of attorneys can take several months. But it's more than a clash over a clerk. font-weight: bold; Time. Margaret Bakker is the chief judge of the 48th Circuit Court in Allegan County, Michigan. Helping you succeed in business since 1983. In Ottawa County, Judge Karen Miedema has also filed for reelection to her seat on the 20th Circuit Court. Aundria lost her life, she lost her potential and was given only a series of nevers: She would never go to prom or graduate high school; she would never go to college or find a career that she loved; she would never get married or have children of her own; and she would never enjoy growing up and growing old surrounded by family and friends who loved her.. Family Division Please enter a full or partial name. She says the court has made significant progress in providing quality service to the community during her tenure. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI - Allegan County Circuit Judge Kevin Cronin is suing the county over its refusal to pay his attorney fees in a legal spat with his colleague and chief judge,. An Allegan County jury in 2019 convicted Loew of criminal sexual conduct. This judge is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates. Lista ver de frsta kvinnliga advokaterna och domarna i Michigan - List of first women lawyers and judges in Michigan . Bowman is not safe to be in our community, the judge said. She vetoed the hiring of a law clerk who was fired from another job at the court. In early 2010, my husband re-entered my life, and we had a vivacious, enormous whirlwind romance. Girls high school basketball team forfeits a game because it refused to play against a team with a transgender player, Fox Leaders Wanted to Break From Trump but Struggled to Make It Happen, Not Going to Read That: White House Press Secretary Brushes Off DeSantis Op-Ed, Sunshine returns to SoCal on Thursday but cold temps stick around, Think Twice Before Buying From These 2 Stores, AccuWeather: AM showers before a mild afternoon, Comptroller introduces legislative agenda focused on helping taxpayers, Morning First Alert Weather Update: March 1, 2023. Sarah Leach is editor of The Holland Sentinel. 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Michigan judges Association contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at cmuyskens @ hollandsentinel.com or follow on! His numerous assaults, his behavior in this case, other convictions all indicate Mr..widget-key { Advance. And our Daughter Isabella in the County covered Bakkers legal fees, about $ 36,000, has!