ANN ARBOR (AP) — Michigan’s chief justice says there’s no immediate way to remove an Ann Arbor judge who collects a salary despite being stripped of his courtroom duties.
Robert Young Jr. says Judge Christopher Easthope can be paid “for doing no work for as long as his conscience will allow.” Young’s letter was published in The Detroit News.
The high court can remove judges but only after lengthy investigations by a watchdog agency.
The chief judge at 15th District Court has barred Easthope from hearing cases after text messages revealed that he and a local lawyer were drinking buddies who had smoked marijuana together. The messages also suggest Easthope helped the lawyer’s firm get a $203,000 contract with Ann Arbor.
Easthope plans to resign at year’s end.
- Posted July 27, 2015
- Tweet This | Share on Facebook
Chief justice: No quick way to sack judge
headlines Macomb
- New leadership team takes helm at State Bar
- Four weeks before Election Day, mail ballot returns are up 30% over same point in 2022
- Belleville woman arraigned in connection with alleged arson, felonious assault
- Warren man pleads No Contest to Felonious Assault and dog stabbing
- Woman sentenced for mortgage fraud, filing a false $374,000 tax refund return
headlines National
- Melissa Hart, the chair of the ABA Legal Ed council, dies
- Judge suspended after indictment over alleged perjury
- Bill Withers’ music publisher files copyright suit over Olivia Dean’s ‘I’ve Seen It’
- Judge reinstates US attorney in Washington fired by Trump
- Interim law dean of University of Florida named to permanent role
- Clio acquires Learned Hand, an AI company for courts, judges
