Bakker, who remains on the bench, served in the role for 11. Apply today! In the nonpartisan primary, the two candidates who receive the greatest number of votes advance to the general election. Services The Circuit Court Family Division provides the following services: Delinquency Proceedings Casework services -- Community Probation and Juvenile Diversion Protective Proceedings Guardianship of minors who are already under Family Court jurisdiction 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. Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our local coverage. Bakker, who remains on the 48th Circuit Court bench, became Allegan County's first female circuit court judge when she won election to the position in 2010. Assistant Allegan County Prosecutor Emily Jipp called a state police trooper as her second witness. Judges Jon Van Allsburg, Mark Feyen and Bradley Knoll were reappointed to two-year terms as chief judges of Ottawa County's 20th Circuit Court, Probate Court and 58th District Court, respectively. "The recommendation was timely as Chief Judge Kengis advises the number of potential jury trials awaiting scheduling is over one hundred. Field has been free on $50,000 cash or surety bond since July 2018 after being held on a higher bond for several months after his arrest in September 2017. 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. Allegan County Prosecutor Myrene Koch disagreed with the retrial order and said her office is considering an appeal. Beginning January 1, 2022, Judge Roberts Kengis assumed the chief judge leadership of the 48 th Circuit Court. 113 Chestnut Street, Allegan, MI49010 non-substantive) matters.". Rick Snyder on Wednesday, Feb. 28 . Hours: Open Weekdays 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM The same date Kengis starts as a Circuit Judge. Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at cmuyskens@hollandsentinel.com and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens. Michigan Circuit Court 13 READS: Muskegon book store asking for help to stay open, continue to promote literacy, 13 On Your Side Forecast: Fog Thursday; Snowstorm Friday. The plea agreement was announced Friday afternoon in a court hearing before Judge Roberts Kengis. Myrene Koch will replace Robert Kengis as Allegan County Prosecuting Attorney on March 19. The defense has not pointed to any ruling showing the judge to be compromised or biased, she said. He was elected to a six-year term in 2020. Allegan County Sheriff's Office Sheriff. All rights reserved. Let us know here, 57th District Court Allegan County113 Chestnut Street0.0 mile away, Allegan County Probate Court2243 33rd Street2.2 miles away, 36th Judicial Circuit Court Van Buren CountyCourthouse - Second Floor, 212 East Paw Paw Street12.6 miles away, 2023 Everything-Bytes | Terms of Use & Privacy Policy. Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at cmuyskens@hollandsentinel.com and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens. 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. The incidents occurred between September 2015 and early 2018 when he perjured himself during a court hearing. The emails from Judge Bakker were an editorial expressing discontent with the case and as inquiry as to the breakdown in police and procedure that compromised the investigation, Schikora wrote in court documents. Dissenting Justice Michael Riordan said reasonable minds could conclude that Bakker was biased in favor of the prosecution. If you would like to help our coverage scope grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia. COURTS _____ Pursuant to MCR 7.201, IT IS ORDERED that the Honorable Elizabeth L. Gleicher is appointed as chief judge of the Court of Appealsfor the two year period - commencing . .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 Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Villar, a private practice attorney, later lost the electionby a handful of votes. Koch a 1992 graduate of Michigan State received her JD from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1999. Allegan County Circuit Court Judge Roberts Kengis was asked to disqualify himself from the case and agreed to do so in a hearing Thursday. All Rights Reserved. Daniel Albert Loew, 26, was convicted by an Allegan County Circuit Court jury of two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct (CSC), two counts of third-degree CSC and a single count of second-degree CSC. Dont they have detectives with MSP anymore? Cheshire Hills Golf Course . Circuit Court Judge, Honorable Michael Buck On Jan. 1, the Michigan Supreme Court announced Judge Roberts Kengis would replace Bakker in supervising the 48th Circuit Court. All rights reserved. We routinely discuss cases with the victims, said Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz. Ms. Kochs response acknowledged the criticism and acknowledged the breakdown in procedure. 269-226-5014. craig.chindemi@ascension.org. Example video title will go here for this video. He was convicted of five counts of criminal sexual misconduct and sentenced to at least 20 years in prison. 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. Honorable Michael L. Buck . http://www.allegancounty.org/Government/CC/Index.asp?pt=, The Public Access to Court Records (PACER), 36th Judicial Circuit Court Van Buren County. Bakker was Allegan County's first female circuit court judge. Sarah Leach is editor of The Holland Sentinel. The jury found the Defendant guilty based on that evidence. Michigan Court of Appeals Kengis was the chief prosecuting attorney when. She became a judge on Jan. 1, 2010. Kengis was appointed to the circuit court judgeship in March 2018 by then-governor Rick Snyder after the resignation of Judge Kevin Cronin. The prosecutor said the emails and information were not shared with the assistant prosecutor trying the case. 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. Judiciary Courts of the Stt can be contacted via phone at (269) 673-8471 for pricing, hours and directions. Neither side objected in court to Kengis'decision to recuse himself. In the majority opinion, Murray wrote that while the appeals court recognized the communications were ex parte, such communications "between a sitting judge and a prosecutor do not warrant a new trial so long as the communications focus on administrative or procedural (i.e. Bakker was immediately appointed chief judge and served 11 years as chief judge. 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. It was after his arrest in November 2019 for Doyle's murder that he began asking to speak to detectives about the circumstances of Aundria'sdeath. Loew currently is free while awaiting the outcome of his appeal. Is any of the above incorrect? JUDGES OF MICHIGAN . Marcia Johnson. Bakker was Allegan Countys first female circuit court judge. Jennifer Garcia. His case was bound over for a jury trial in Allegan County's 48th Circuit Court last month. The jury was thereby improperly influenced.. He was sentenced last November to at least 20 years in prison. Kengis and Bakker have worked closely together over the years when making final decisions on a variety of issues. Subscribe:Receive 3 months of all-access to The Sentinel's award-winning digital coverage for $1. Get unlimited access to our local coverage, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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 He is being convicted of multiple sex offenses which will impact his getting teaching or counseling positions in the future., Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Pokagon Band celebrates Four Winds South Bend hotel expansion, Chamber of Commerce welcomes real estate firm to downtown Dowagiac, School safety gains, FFA students highlighted at Cassopolis Board of Education meeting, 2nd & Main coffeehouse opens in downtown Niles. 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 Its one of the most outrageous things Ive seen in my career, defense attorney Heath Lynch, a former federal prosecutor in Grand Rapids, told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Subscribe:Get unlimited access to our local coverage. She said the jury reached the decision. Ballotpedia features 395,436 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. 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. Michigan District Courts *Please call to verify. ALLEGAN Should a criminal defendant in Allegan County get a new trial after claiming he didn't get a fair shake? All rights reserved (About Us). Circuit Judge Roberts Kengis recused himself because he was the county prosecutor when charges were filed against Loew. The Michigan Supreme Court votes on the appointment of chief judges for Michigan courts every two years after "an extensive review process," according to the State Court Administrative Office. In August, Bakker also recused herself from hearing the motion for a new trial. On Wednesday, Oct. 5, the high court announced it would hear arguments in the case, but limited the scope to the ramifications of discovered communications where the presiding judge overseeing Loew's initial trial was sharing her opinion of the case through emails with the head prosecutor. 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. Myrene Koch will take over for current prosecutor, Roberts Kengis on March 19. 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. Kengis will continue as Prosecuting Attorney until March 19 when he starts his role as a Circuit Judge, a position he was appointed to by Governor Rick Snyder. Bakker, who remains on the bench, served in the role for 11 years. Presiding Family Court Judge, Allegan County, 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.. 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 Zuzich Bakker in the role. Redistricting Maps Take Affect for 2022 Elections. In August 2019, Loew was convicted by a jury of multiple rapes of a relative of his wife, a girl who was 13 at the time of the first assault. 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. Allegan, MI 49010 2023 www.hollandsentinel.com. The same date Kengis starts as a Circuit Judge. [1], If two or more candidates in a race receive the same number of votes, the election is to be decided by lot. This county is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates. Koch said in an email to MLive: "While I respect Judge Baillargeon, I disagree with the basis of his decision in granting a new trial. Allegan County will soon have a new Prosecuting Attorney. Aundria Bowman's body was discovered buried on the Bowmanproperty in Hamilton in February 2020, after Dennis Bowman confessed the location of her body to his wife. Kengis replaces Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker who had been elected to the circuit court in 2010. Judge Kengis relied on the testimony from the 2018 preliminary hearing in the case for his findings of fact in accepting Fields plea. In a process run by a county clerk, the candidates choose slips of paper from a box that say either "elected" or "not elected".[2]. Montenegro said the agreement calls for Field to be sentenced to a term of probation, a county jail sentence not to exceed one year and no requirement to register as a sex offender. Appeals court walks back new trial for man after prosecutor, judge emailed during trial, Man wins new trial over email exchange between judge, prosecutor, Judges recused from hearing mans request for new trial, Allegan man says judge, prosecutor denied him a fair trial, Get unlimited access to our local coverage, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. To learn more about judicial selection in Michigan, click here. They began investigating and recommended she contact the sheriffs department. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). 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; } Koch previously told The Sentinel she never discussed the emails with Jipp. This case has languished in the system for a few years and our victims deserve to have the ability to go on with their life. Community Volunteer . Please enable JavaScript in your browser for a better user experience. This collaboration will continue as Bakker supported Kengis decision to apply for the leadership position. Penny Brown . Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. (269) 673-0300, Honorable Roberts Kengis 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. 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. Judge Kengis used previous testimony and evidence to show that Field committed perjury when he testified that he had not had sex with the victim, that he had held himself out as a licensed health practitioner when he wasnt, presented a false insurance claim for services rendered to another person, possessed marijuana in his home in 2017 and attempted to commit indecent exposure against the victim. Loews attorneys are alleging prosecutorial misconduct occurred based on the emails, which they say they learned of in June. By using this website, you agree to comply with all of the terms of use . Bowman, 72, is charged with her murder. He replaces Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker, who served 11 years as chief judge. Betty Kortman . 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. He buried Aundria's body on their property, later moving her body when the Bowmans moved from Holland to the Hamilton area shortly afterward. "We think the court wants to hear and have robust conversations on these issues. While he was a prosecutorinthe Allegan County Prosecutor's Office, he participated in discussions about the unsolved disappearance of Aundria Bowman with the Allegan County Sheriff's Office and a cold-case panel of other prosecutors and detectives in Lansing. Website: http://www.allegancounty.org/Government/CC/Index.asp?pt=, Staff: George R. Corsiglia (Chief Judge), William A. Baillargeon He was sentenced to a minimum 20 years in prison on each charge. Koch has served as an assistant prosecutor since July of 2002, and as the Chief Assistant Prosecutor since last June. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Kengis said during Thursdays hearing that the hearing would likely be reassigned next to a judge in Allegan Countys 57th District Court. "Whenever an issue arises or a policy decision needs to be made, Judge Bakker and Judge Kengis always discuss the matter prior to the chief making the final decision.". If there are not more than twice the amount of candidates than there are persons to be elected, the race will not appear on the primary election ballot, but only on the general election ballot. Before that, she worked 28 years as an assistant prosecutor, the last eight as chief prosecutor. Allegan Attorney Michael Villar, who challenged Koch for her job in the August Republican primary, uncovered the emails in a Freedom of Information Act request. ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI -- Allegan County Prosecutor Rob Kengis has been appointed to a recently vacated judgeship with the Allegan County Circuit Court. She noted that he has already conducted trials in his home county during the pandemic, which should be a help as Cass County starts holding them. 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. Bowman strangled and stabbed a 25-year-old woman, Kathleen O'Brien Doyle,in her home. The Michigan Supreme Court is providing the information on this website as a public service. In this case, she was comfortable with the agreement. The victim was a student of Fields at SMC and also went to him for counseling at the Family Center in Dowagiac. George Field, 60, of Dowagiac, had been scheduled to face trial starting Monday in Cass County Circuit Court on 17 criminal sexual conduct, insurance fraud and perjury charges. 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. Allegan County Circuit Court Judge. 1983 against the County of Allegan, the State of Michigan, Kevin Cronin, a former judge of the 48th Circuit Court in Allegan County, and Robert Kengis, a current judge of the 48th Circuit Court, alleging claims for denial of due process, cruel and unusual punishment The United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan has jurisdiction in Allegan County. Contact Info (269) 673-8471 Questions & Answers Q What is the phone number for Judiciary Courts of the Stt? My office is contemplating an appeal. They claim that Loew did not receive a fair trial. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. Call, or visit the court's website if listed above. Roberts Kengis Circuit Court Judge at Allegan County Government Plainwell, Michigan, United States 781 followers 500+ connections Join to connect Allegan County Government Wayne State. Briefs in the case are expected to be filed within the coming months, at which point oral arguments will be scheduled. Dont they have detectives with MSP anymore?. During the runup to the primary election in August, prosecutorial candidate Michael Villar accused his opponent, incumbent prosecutor Myrene Koch, of inappropriate ex parte communications with Judge Margaret Bakker. Jim Wheat, MD. Allegan, MI 49010, Design By Granicus - Connecting People & Government. Community Volunteer . 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. Ascension Borgess Allegan Foundation Director . 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 The judge assigned to oversee the trial of Dennis Bowman,accused of the murder of his adopted daughter Aundria 30 years ago, has recused himself because of his past involvement in the caseas a prosecutor. The chief judges will remain in place until the MI Supreme Court reviews applications and makes the next round of appointments in two years. SMC completed its investigation in late September 2017 when they fired Field. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Although Koch didn't directly prosecute the case for the county, she was the supervisor of the assistant prosecutor who did. Rob Kengis. 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 proceedings. *Not location specific. Judge Kengis handles all the case types that are dealt with in circuit court: criminal felonies, civil cases with a value over $25,000.00, divorce, custody, and paternity cases, personal protection order cases, child protective proceedings, guardianships, adoptions, and appeals from district court and administrative bodies. The point is she tried. Beginning January 1, 2022, Judge Roberts Kengis assumed the chief judge leadership of the 48 th Circuit Court. In Allegan County, the presiding judge of the Family Court is the Honorable Michael L. Buck. Judiciary Courts of the Stt is located at 113 Chestnut St in Allegan, Michigan 49010. The emails were made public by Villar during the 2020 Republican primary for the Allegan prosecutor post. ALLEGAN - Allegan County Commission chairman James Storey points out the Allegan circuit should have a third judge position. Koch and her husband married in 1993. Judge Kengis noted that Field will be sentenced before him on Friday, Sept. 10 in Cass County Circuit Court at 8:30 a.m. The murder was onlyconnected to Bowman in 2018 when detectives used a genealogy database searchingtechnique toidentify a DNA sample from the decades-old case. Term in 2020 will take over for current prosecutor, the last eight chief. Agree to comply with all of the prosecution her home plea agreement was announced Friday afternoon in a Court.! A hearing Thursday local coverage, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy th Circuit Court Sept. 10 in County. He was sentenced last November to at least 20 years in prison sheriffs department villar during the Republican... 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