Source: http://www.scribd.com/doc/214747320/Court-opinion-in-Judge-Wade-McCree-case-contains-crude-language
Timestamp: 2014-10-01 08:36:32
Document Index: 623461700

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 6', '§ 30', 'art 6', '§ 4', 'art 6', '§ 30', 'art 6', '§ 30']

P. 1Court opinion in Judge Wade McCree case (contains crude language)Court opinion in Judge Wade McCree case (contains crude language)Ratings: (0)|Views: 595
|Likes: 0Published by LansingStateJournalWayne County Judge Wade McCree Jr. was suspended in wake of affair, courtroom scandal.Wayne County Judge Wade McCree Jr. was suspended in wake of affair, courtroom scandal.More info:Categories:Types, Business/Law, Court FilingsPublished by: LansingStateJournal on Mar 26, 2014Copyright:Traditional Copyright: All rights reservedAvailability:Read on Scribd mobile: iPhone, iPad and Android.download as PDF, TXT or read online from ScribdFlag for inappropriate content|Add to collectionSee moreSee lesshttp://www.scribd.com/doc/214747320/Court-opinion-in-Judge-Wade-McCree-case-contains-crude-language03/26/2014pdftextoriginal In re
McCREE Docket No. 146826. Argued December 11, 2013 (Calendar No. 1). Decided March 26, 2014. The Judicial Tenure Commission (JTC) petitioned for the interim suspension of Wayne Circuit Court Judge Wade H. McCree without pay. The Supreme Court granted the petition. 493 Mich 935 (2013). The JTC subsequently filed a formal complaint against respondent, alleging five counts of misconduct: that respondent had engaged in improper conduct in two criminal cases before him, falsely reported a felony, exhibited improper bench conduct and demeanor, and made misrepresentations to the JTC. The Supreme Court appointed retired Jackson Circuit Court Judge Charles A. Nelson to act as master. After a hearing, the master concluded that respondent had committed misconduct as alleged in Counts I through III of the complaint. With respect to Count I, the master concluded that respondent should have disqualified himself from a felony nonsupport case as soon as he began a sexual relationship with Geniene LaShay Mott, who was the complaining witness in the case. With respect to Count II, Judge Nelson found that respondent had lied to the prosecuting attorney’s office when he reported that Mott was stalking him and trying to extort money from him. With respect to Count III, the master concluded that respondent had improperly acted in another criminal case, one that involved Mott’s uncle. With respect to Count IV, the master found that although many of the text messages that respondent exchanged with Mott while he was on the bench were inappropriate, they were used in a private context and did not rise to the level of judicial misconduct. Finally, the master found that the misrepresentations alleged in Count V did not warrant action by the JTC. The JTC concluded that respondent had engaged in judicial misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice as alleged in Counts I through III. With respect to Count V, the JTC did not adopt the master’s findings and found instead that respondent had engaged in a pervasive pattern of dishonesty that included lying under oath to the commission and to the master. The JTC recommended that respondent be removed from office, conditionally suspended without pay for six years beginning on January 1, 2015 (with the suspension becoming effective only if he is reelected to judicial office in November 2014), and ordered to pay $11,645.17 in costs. In an opinion by Justice M
, joined by Chief Justice Y
and Justices K ELLY
ORMACK , and V
, the Supreme Court held : The cumulative effect of respondent’s misconduct required his removal from judicial office and imposition of a conditional suspension. Michigan Supreme CourtLansing, Michigan
Syllabus Chief Justice: Robert P. Young, Jr. Justices: Michael F. Cavanagh Stephen J. Markman Mary Beth Kelly Brian K. Zahra Bridget M. McCormack David F. Viviano This syllabus constitutes no part of the opinion of the Court but has been prepared by the Reporter of Decisions for the convenience of the reader. Reporter of Decisions: Corbin R. Davis 1. The evidence established that respondent had a sexual relationship with a complaining witness in a case pending before him without recusing himself for several months and engaged in numerous ex parte communications with her concerning the case, as well as concerning another case in which her uncle was a party. Respondent violated various courthouse policies by permitting Mott to enter the facility through an employee entrance without going through security, allowing her to remain alone in his chambers while he was on the bench, arranging for her to park her vehicle in an area reserved for judges, and sneaking her cell phone into the courthouse for her. While he was on the bench, respondent sent Mott numerous text messages that contained inappropriate and derogatory references to defendants, litigants, and witnesses appearing before him. Respondent lied about when and why he finally did recuse himself from the case in which his mistress was the complaining witness and sought to use the prosecuting attorney’s office as leverage against Mott by concocting the stalking and extortion charges. He also lied under oath during the JTC proceedings. 2. Respondent’s actions constituted misconduct in office and conduct clearly prejudicial to the administration of justice within the meaning of Const 1963, art 6, § 30 and MCR 9.205. He violated MCR 9.104(1) through (4) by engaging in conduct prejudicial to the proper administration of justice; conduct that exposed the legal profession or the court to obloquy, contempt, censure, or reproach; conduct that was contrary to justice, ethics, honesty, or good morals; and conduct that violated the standards or rules of professional conduct adopted by the Supreme Court. Respondent violated MCR 2.003 by failing to disqualify himself in the criminal cases and violated MCL 750.423 by testifying falsely under oath. He violated Canon 1 of the Code of Judicial Conduct by failing to maintain high standards of conduct so that the integrity and independence of the judiciary may be preserved. He violated Canon 2 by failing to avoid all impropriety and appearance of impropriety, failing to promote public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary, and allowing a social relationship to influence his judicial conduct or judgment. He violated Canon 3 by failing to be faithful to the law, engaging in ex parte communications, and failing to raise the issue of disqualification. 3. In In re Brown
, 461 Mich 1291 (2000), the Supreme Court set forth seven considerations to guide the formation of judicial-discipline recommendations. The JTC properly concluded that six of the Brown
factors weighed in favor of a more serious sanction. Removing respondent from office and conditionally suspending him without pay for six years beginning on January 1, 2015 (with the suspension becoming effective only if respondent is reelected to judicial office in November 2014) was necessary to sufficiently redress the harm done to the integrity and reputation of the judiciary. Lying under oath is entirely incompatible with judicial office and warrants removal, but respondent did far more than lie under oath and committed most of his misconduct while the JTC was investigating him for other misconduct for which he has since been sanctioned. 4. Const 1963, art 6, §§ 4 and 30 grant the Supreme Court authority to sanction a judge. Section 4 gives the Supreme Court general superintending authority over courts and the power to determine that a person is unfit for judicial office and prevent the person from exercising judicial power in this state for as long as the person is, in the Court’s judgment, judicially unfit. Const 1963, art 6, § 30(2) authorizes removal and suspension as sanctions. The power to suspend is not limited to cases in which the judge currently holds office. The Supreme Court has constitutional authority to issue conditional suspensions that foreclose the exercise of the prerogatives inhering in any judicial office to which the disciplined person might be elected or appointed in the future, the condition being reelection or appointment to judicial office. A conditional suspension disengages the disciplined person from judicial power only if the person occupies judicial office again during the term of the suspension and do not permanently enjoin the person from holding judicial office. The Supreme Court has issued conditional suspensions when other sanctions could not fully and adequately address the effect of particular misconduct on the integrity of the judicial system. In this case, removal of respondent alone would be an insufficient sanction. If he were to be reelected in 2014, his total period of suspension would be less than two years (including his interim suspension), which would be insufficient given the seriousness of his misconduct. 5. Because respondent engaged in conduct involving deceit or intentional misrepresentation, he was ordered to pay the JTC costs of $11,645.17 under MCR 9.205(B). Removal from office, conditional suspension, and payment of costs ordered. Justice C
, concurring in part and dissenting in part, agreed with the majority’s factual findings and analysis of the factors from Brown, but disagreed with the decision to conditionally suspend respondent. Const 1963, art 6, § 30 provides four possible sanctions, allowing the Supreme Court to censure, suspend with or without salary, retire, or remove a judge. Removal is the most serious sanction and is, therefore, the means by which judges guilty of serious misconduct are divested of office. Because respondent’s misconduct was of a grave and serious nature, Justice C
agreed with removing respondent from office, but disagreed that removal alone would not sufficiently address the seriousness of respondent’s conduct. The majority overlooked the fact that other institutions, such as the press, serve the public’s interest in being informed and may be expected to do so in this case. In any event, the Supreme Court always retains the power to determine that a person is unfit for judicial office and prevent that person from exercising judicial power in this state for as long as he or she is in the Court’s judgment judicially unfit. ©2014 State of Michigan Activity (1)FiltersAdd to collectionReview Add NoteLikeShowingAllMost RecentReviewsAll NotesLikesYou've already reviewed this. Edit your review.Rating 0/5Post notePost reviewPost replyPost note and likeLoad more
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