The court said Tato's attack on the dog did not meet the definition of serious injury since the dog's "crooked ear" was a cosmetic injury and did not affect the dog's hearing or health. 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. But it's more than a clash over a clerk. Reprints In December, Cronin said he planned to hire Chris Anderson as his law clerk, six months after Bakker fired him as a referee handling child support matters. The State Bar of Michigan admitted him to practice the following year, and Mr. Machnik gained invaluable legal experience serving as a law clerk to Judges Bakker and Cronin in Allegan County, as an intern with the Cass County Prosecutor's Office, and as associate and partner with several prominent area law firms. font-weight: bold; Yes, we had proof demonstrating why he wasnt a stable factor due to Aneashas own hidden agendas. Allegan County Judge Kevin Cronin has taken the extraordinary step of asking the Michigan Supreme Court to intervene in a turf battle with Chief Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker. Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at cmuyskens@hollandsentinel.com and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens. Actor suggested movie was too close to the bone for some in the industry, Reports of the disgraced royals reluctance to move out of current home arrive as Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirm they were asked to vacate their 10-bedroom property in Windsor, , It was Sesen who saw them first: Suyian, Mikey!, Singer came in 29th place on a recent list of the 200 greatest singers of all time. text-align: center; float: right; Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population as well as mayoral, city council, and district attorney election coverage in state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities. I say this with a heavy heart because I am a woman, but to see a man and his child so unfairly losing really hits me hard down to my core. I would like to share a story of a corrupt Judge, Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker in Allegan County, Michigan and my personal experience. He said the case would be dismissed quickly if his attorney can respond. 2021 Associated Press. It turns out that the judge sent emails to prosecutor Myrene Koch during the trial, asking a question about the victim and offering an unflattering opinion about state . His numerous assaults, his behavior in this case, other convictions all indicate Mr. My husband and his daughters mother were never married. .widget-row { What is wrong with our system when the system forces a parent to support a child (which a parents should support their child (ren)) but then the system decides to take the high road and make the parent fight for any visitation? Judge Margaret Zuzich-Bakker sentenced him to at least 20 years in prison. } font-size: .9em; Criminal Division The Criminal Division of Circuit Court handles felony cases, criminal appeals from District Court, extraditions and writs. Let me predict the future here, and not because I have a crystal ball but because I know of how Aneasha has dangled Cheyanna in front of my husband through the years. As I became more and more acquainted with Bakker's bizarre courtroom antics and capricious decision makings, everyone I spoke to in Allegan County-from cops to attorneys and even some court personnel-would invariably remind me that it . Villar is running against Koch in the Republican primary for the prosecutors seat. You can try refreshing the page, and if you're still having problems, just try again later. Bakker quickly declared that she was forming a pool of law clerks for the court and Anderson wouldn't be a member, Lubben said in a March 17 response at the Supreme Court. January 17, 2022 / 11:22 AM The case likely will be heard in 2023. She was elected to this court on November 2, 2010, and took office on January 3, 2011. Wielding long sticks and with their faces wrapped in Palestinian chequered keffiyeh scarves, young men set out on a night patrol to guard their village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.Each night, the team gathers at Turmus Ayya in the north of the West Bank, ready to raise the alarm in the event of a raid by Israeli settlers, who have set up bases in outposts around the village. That is the most ridiculous answer I have ever heard. Don't they have detectives with MSP anymore?". My perception of Family Courts across the great state of Michigan, feel free to correct me if Im misinformed, is to preserve as much of the family unit as possible and to encourage a relationship between parent and child. Just months earlier, Bakker had fired Anderson as a Friend of Court referee. Investigators had been looking for her since then. A primary election occurred on August 2, 2016. Although Koch didn't directly prosecute the case for the county, she was the supervisor of the assistant prosecutor who did. 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. color: black; More:Man wins new trial over email exchange between judge, prosecutor, More:Judges recused from hearing mans request for new trial, More:Allegan man says judge, prosecutor denied him a fair trial. } The emails were unearthed by Allegan-based attorney Michael Villar, who was challenging County Prosecutor Myrene Koch's re-election bid in summer 2020. Our Mission So, we finally gathered the money to retain a lawyer and at last go before the court. .infobox p { color: white; background-color: white; The statewide primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 2. The Friend of the Court handles domestic relations cases involving minor children. [3], Bakker defeated Paul W. Klein with 59.81 percent of the vote in the general election on November 2, 2010. margin: auto; This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I am starting a petition to have her removed and am desperately seeking help from any outside sources (Congressmen, lawyers, organizations or all the way up the totem pole. 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. An Allegan County jury last year convicted Daniel Loew of criminal sexual conduct. 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. Results only include existing Virtual Courtrooms. Sitting judges had to declare their intentions to seek reelection by March 21. Bowman pleaded no contest to Aundrias murder in December. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. Justices Christopher Murray and Jane Markey were in the majority, saying the emails didnt provide an advantage to the prosecution. Generally, ex parte communications between a judge and only one party in a legal matter are prohibited by ethics codes for judges and attorneys because they can give an unfair advantage to one side in a case. 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.. It turned out that the judge had sent emails to prosecutor Myrene Koch during the trial, asking a question about the victim and offering an unflattering opinion about state police. After Cronin hired Anderson, Bakker said Anderson would be escorted out if he showed up for work. The outcome was nothing short of appalling. A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated the same as any other conviction at sentencing. The euthanization order was reversed by the higher court and the case was sent back to an Allegan County courtroom for further proceedings. That was the catalyst that moved us forward, Fuller said. At least his feet are in the door; although, deep down we knew that Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker was biased and penalized my husband because he was a man. font-weight: bold; Judge William A Bailargeon is the Chief district court judge. font-weight: bold; He specifically ask the court to change his Parenting time to give him the same 10 weeks in 2 groups so he could still nurture his relationship with his daughter. Ex parte communication is not allowed because all parties in a legal matter, including the judge, the prosecuting attorney and the defense attorney should all have access to the same information and evidence for a proceeding to be considered fair. I say less because he was given every other weekend through the year and 5 weeks in the summer. } He ultimately did tell police exactly where to find Aundrias remains, buried in a shallow grave in the backyard of his property in Monterey Township, east of Hamilton. After requesting emails and texts between Koch and Bakker via the Freedom of Information Act, Villar said there were multiple instances of the judge and prosecutor communicating about court cases inappropriately. The position of Allegan County Prosecutor should have been filled in an open and transparent way. She was someone who stood up for herself even in the face of abuse, Koch said. Party Name. font-size: 1.2em; An Allegan County jury last year convicted Daniel Loew of criminal sexual conduct. [3] The name was coined by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft to sound like a Native American word. To be elected to either of these courts, a judge must:[7]. Hearing Info. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met briefly Thursday at a meeting of top diplomats from the Group of 20 nations in the first high-level meeting in months between the two countries. Norbeck (2nd-MAGIS) Today. Judge Skocelas (2nd floor CTRM A), Judge Baillargeon (2nd floor CTRM B) & Magis. More:Appeals court walks back new trial for man after prosecutor, judge emailed during trial. .courts-header { font-size:150%;background-color:#334aab;color:white;} Then we review from there. Allegan County Circuit Court judges Margaret Zuzich-Bakker and Kevin Cronin. Michael G. Mack Alpena County Probate Court Hon. 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, Margaret Zuzich-Bakker. The more people that push to see true justice, the more likely they will do something about it. .top_disclaimer { We had substantial proof that Aneasha was doing anything but encouraging a relationship between Cheyanna and her father (Jamie). She vetoed. The emails were unearthed by Allegan-based attorney Michael Villar, who was challenging County Prosecutor Myrene Koch's re-election bid in summer 2020. .widget-img { My husband was BULLIED into settling. That isuntil it happens personally! Judge Barkman and Judge Schlegel are assigned to this division. More: Appeals court walks back new trial for man after prosecutor, judge emailed during trial, More: Kengis replaces Bakker as 48th Circuit Court chief judge, More: Whitmer signs bill to give Ottawa County 5th judgeship. We're doing our best to get things working smoothly! Bakker worked in the Allegan County Prosecutor's Office for 28 years as an assistant prosecuting attorney and chief assistant prosecuting attorney before her election to the judiciary. Michigan Circuit Court 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. Judge Bakker was also coaching Myrene Koch on that ongoing case, showing Judge Bakker's bias in favor of the prosecution. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. DIRECTA, After being at the center of Republican politics for decades, the CPAC head now finds himself at the center of a sexual harassment suit. Related: Allegan judge to colleague: 'I'm not your junior associate emotional whipping boy'. CPAC 2023 live: Jimmy Kimmel mocks Republican convention before Trump, Haley and Bolsonaro speak. .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 Judge Roberts Kengis is the new chief judge of the 48th Circuit Court in Allegan County. } Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. A dispute between two judges has revealed disorder at a West Michigan courthouse. 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. Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker clearly has biased and this prevents her from doing what she was appointed to do. Myrene Koch will take over for current prosecutor, Roberts Kengis on March 19. In an interview on WHTCs Talk of the Town in June, Koch said she has no hidden agenda regarding Villars claims and called them false exaggerations. Koch also claimed Villars FOIA requests involving her emails and other requests are costs to the county that are unneeded.. Judge Margaret Zuzich-Bakker sentenced him to at least 20 years in prison. She said Bowman knew he was going to be charged with murder in Virginia, which at the time had the death penalty, and that his wife was pressuring him to tell her where Aundrias body was. 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. 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. My message to Beijing is clear: use your influence in Moscow to press for the withdrawal of Russian troops, and do not supply weapons to the aggressor Russia, Scholz said in a speech to German parliament. GRBJ Jobs, ADVERTISE Bakker was appointed chief judge on December 21, 2010. .clearfix { Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. I am prepared and excited to continue doing what I love: ensuring that each person who comes into my courtroom is treated with respect and receives a fair trial, she said. Koch said she wasn't directly involved in Loew's trial and didn't share the judge's opinions with an assistant prosecutor. Beginning January 1, 2022, Judge Roberts Kengis assumed the chief judge leadership of the 48 th Circuit Court. padding-left: 10px; width: 57%; He sues the following employees of Allegan County: Circuit Court Judge Margaret Bakker, Magistrate Judge Kirby J. Goodwin, Detective Chris Koster, Chief Prosecuting Attorney Frederick Anderson, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Myrene Koch, Court Reporter Anne Lang, Child Protective Services (CPS) Caseworker Amanda Cherian, and Sergeant Christopher .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { In Allegan County Circuit Court Monday morning, Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker sentenced 75-year-old Dennis Bowman to 35 to 50 years in prison for second-degree murder in the death of his. According to the state's Dangerous Animals Act, a dangerous animal is a dog or other animal that bites or attacks a person, or a dog that bites or attacks and causes serious injury or death to another dog while the other dog is on the property or under the control of its owner. So far, two candidates have publicly said they will run for the newly-created 20th Circuit Court judgeship: assistant prosecuting attorney Paul Kraus, who held an event announcing his candidacy in February, and public defender Mercedes Watts, who announced she was gathering signatures to file for the position during a recent Holland City Council meeting. This email chain is more than just "scheduling and administrative matters". What that means. He asked to appear by phone which was granted. Please enter a full or partial name. Investigators recovered them in February 2020. Cronin says the county covered Bakkers legal fees, about $36,000, but has refused to pay his costs of nearly $20,000. Cronin considered Anderson the most qualified, despite any issues Bakker had with him. Subscribe:Get unlimited access to our local coverage. 100% remote. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Court overturns Allegan County judge's order to euthanize pitbull, Panel: Judge should not have blocked expungement for manslaughter conviction, Court rejects appeal in victim's suit against GVSU, Ottawa County police, Holland Pereddies murderer appealing life sentence again, Subscribe to get unlimited access to our local coverage, Court overturns Allegan County judge's order to euthanize pitbull. The case is that simple," said Cronin's attorney, Doug Van Essen. 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. [7], Qualifications Allegan judge to colleague: 'I'm not your junior associate emotional whipping boy'. Privacy Policy On Jan. 1, theMichigan Supreme Court announcedJudge Roberts Kengis would replace Bakker in supervising the 48th Circuit Court. After months of postponements and delays we were finally able to go in for an Evidentiary Hearing in regards to Changing Custody with all the evidence we had spent a year collecting. Miedema, previously an assistant prosecuting attorney for Ottawa County, was first elected to the judgeship in 2016. He asked for 2 weeks at Christmas break and 8 weeks during summer break. Circuit Judge Margaret Bakker has announced plans to seek re-election to the judgeship to which she was voted to in 2010. 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. font-weight: bold; Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at cmuyskens@hollandsentinel.com and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens. Which ironically he was never given visitation when they started garnishing his wages because the law thinks of these as two separate issues. background-color: grey; State sentencing guidelines would have given Bowman a life sentence. Bakker, who remains on the bench, served in the role for 11 years. How can someone, Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker, live up to that role that they have taken without the life experience necessary to understand the dynamics of this specific branch of family law? Koch said Aundrias friends and family described her as sweet and a protective older sister. Loew currently is free while awaiting the outcome of his appeal. Noting this was an especially heinous crime, the judge went beyond those guidelines. We wanted to make sure that we had more than enough to convince Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker who her main focus was against Domestic Violence. } The Michigan State Police detective had a sample of (Bowmans) DNA, but no evidence suitable for comparison from the body of Aundria.. Daniel Loew The emails between Koch and. The victim was 13 at the time of the first reported assault. Since 1983, the Grand Rapids Business Journal has been West Michigans primary and most-trusted source of local business news. Cronin claims Bakker is exceeding her authority by interfering with how a fellow judge chooses a clerk. Our laws make it required for a parent to financially support their child (ren) but makes the parents jump through hoops that take additional money, and time away from the child (ren) just to be awarded visitation. ", Bakker wrote back, "One more question this victim was not referred for a medical, do you know why?". Ideally, I would like to see Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker removed from the bench but I am just one voice. Staff Correspondence between the judges suggested that the hiring of the law clerk was not the only issue dividing the judges, who have adjacent offices in the county courthouse. That was it! background-color: green; Live now . Margaret Bakker Allegan County Probate Court Hon. .widget-key { Michigan Court of Appeals Ex parte communications would potentially be misconduct, he said. Still he held his head high and we walked forward. In 2019, a magistrate and local district court judge approved an order of euthanization after concluding the pit bull was a "dangerous animal." When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. Bakker was chief judge of the 48th Circuit Court throughout her judicial tenure until this year, when she chose not to reapply for the position. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. The Grand Rapids Business Journal is published by Crain Communications. We literally went full force and pulled out all stops. Aundria was courageous and strong. In the district court, there are also two judges. [8], The chief judges of the circuit courts are appointed by the state supreme court to two-year terms. width: 100%; The 36th Circuit Court has original jurisdiction in all civil cases with claims of more than $25,000 and criminal cases where the offense is a felony or serious misdemeanor. Daniel Loew The emails between Koch and. In November 2020, Allegan District Court JudgeWilliam Baillargeon's granted Loew'smotion for a new trial, saying such one-sided communications, called ex parte communications, between the judge and the prosecutor gave the appearance of impropriety. While Circuit Court Judge Margaret Bakker had said Tato had attacked a person because one of the women walking Piper was injured by the dog in the process of trying to separate the dogs, the Court of Appeals said those injuries were collateral damage and not a targeted attack on the woman. Contact her at sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com or follow her on Twitter @SentinelLeach. She was elected to this court on November 2, 2010, and took office on January 3, 2011. Bakker was Allegan County's first female circuit court judge. All rights reserved. They had an on-again and off-again relationship since meeting when they were teenagers. ", Koch responded, "They do but not typically for CSCs. Part of Piper's ear was damaged in the fight. The emails between Koch and Judge Margaret Bakker showed the two discussing the case while Loew's trial was occurring in Bakker's courtroom. The emails were made public by Villar during the 2020 Republican primary for the Allegan prosecutor post. Of course, these accusations came after my husband threatened to petition the court for visitation. . 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. She refused to even hear my husbands arguments for change of custody. Search. Cronin and Bakker are the only Circuit Court judges in Allegan County, southwest of Grand Rapids, but Bakker is the chief judge. It is the juror's civic duty to appear for jury. Easilywith unbiased and impartial determinations of the gathered evidence. } Michael L. Buck 57th District Court Hon. Ad Choices We also had vast evidence of proof demonstrating by Aneashas own words to be mentally and physically unhealthy and unstable. "Chief Judge Bakker was shocked" by the hiring, said her attorney, Craig Lubben. She instead supported Judge Roberts Kengis' application to the Michigan Supreme Court for the leadership position, which he took over Jan. 1. 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The appeals court says the emails didnt provide an advantage to the prosecution. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. The major break in this case came at a chance meeting between a detective from the Michigan State Police and a detective form the Norfolk Police Department who both just happened to be attending a cold case homicide conference in Virginia, Koch said during a press conference following Bowmans sentencing hearing.

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