Jackson County's 12th District Court Judge James Justin “failed to follow the law, apparently believing that it simply did not apply to him," the Michigan Supreme Court found.
They removed him in January 2012.
Justin dismissed traffic tickets for himself, his wife and his staff, but also had an extensive history of other bad behavior, justices said.
He also prevented the transmission of or altered court information legally required to be given to the Michigan Secretary of State, dismissed cases without conducting hearings or involving prosecutors, failed to follow plea agreements and made false statements to the commission, the court found.
Following his ousting, Justin was sentenced to 18 months of probation on criminal charges for willful neglect of duty.
WKAR Public Media
Published July 20, 2010 at 6:13 PM EDT
By AP
The Michigan Supreme Court has indefinitely suspended a Jackson County judge with pay.
District 12 Judge James Justin has been on the bench for more than 30 years. The court's order, released Tuesday, says he's under investigation by the Judicial Tenure Commission. There were no other details.
Justin was not at the courthouse and could not immediately be reached for comment.
Earlier this month, The Jackson Citizen Patriot said the State Court Administrative Office has been concerned about how Justin manages his caseload.
The newspaper says the judge can be unorthodox. He jailed a woman for 10 days in 1995 and repeatedly brought her back to court to urge her to sober up and lose weight.
WKAR Public Media
Published January 27, 2012 at 4:41 PM EST
By AP
The Michigan Supreme Court has removed a Jackson County judge from office for misconduct.
District Court Judge James Justin was accused of dismissing traffic cases after talking to people in the hallway or elsewhere outside court. He also was accused of dismissing tickets for himself, his wife, friends and staff.
The Supreme Court unanimously ordered Justin's removal Friday. Justin has been a judge for decades in Jackson. He's been suspended with pay since July 2010.
Chief Justice Robert Young Jr. says Justin's "acts of misconduct are without precedent" in Michigan disciplinary cases. He says the judge showed a "calculated disregard for the law."
Three fellow Republican justices signed Young's decision. The court's three Democratic justices agreed only with Justin's removal. A message seeking comment was left by WKAR for Justin's lawyer.
When a judge is removed from his position on bench the other judges in the courthouse are required by law to make statement/ testimony on the removed judge… in the case of Jackson Judge Justin All the Jackson County District judges recused (removed) themselves from testifying. This includes judges klarren, judge mazur, judge grant, judge Mc Bain, judge bates, judge Bebe/jordan, judge Wilson and of course JUDGE DIANE RAPPLEYE. Further proving the point in the original elections complaint that accomplices were named publicly.