The appeal was heard by Allegan County District Judge William Baillargeon. This collaboration will continue as Bakker supported Kengis decision to apply for the leadership position. She said the jury reached the decision. Bowman, 72, is charged with her murder. According to testimony from detectives, Bowman claimsthat he and Aundria physically fought and Aundria fell down the stairs, breaking herneck. 13 READS: Muskegon book store asking for help to stay open, continue to promote literacy, 13 On Your Side Forecast: Fog Thursday; Snowstorm Friday. In response to the allegations brought by Loews attorney, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Molly Schikora said the three emails sent by the judge had no bearing on the case and were not intended to help the prosecution. Bakker, who remains on the bench, served in the role for 11. Dissenting Justice Michael Riordan said reasonable minds could conclude that Bakker was biased in favor of the prosecution. On Jan. 1, theMichigan Supreme Court announcedJudge Roberts Kengis would replace Bakker in supervising the 48th Circuit Court. Beginning January 1, 2022, Judge Roberts Kengis assumed the chief judge leadership of the 48 th Circuit Court. Dont they have detectives with MSP anymore? All rights reserved (About Us). Example video title will go here for this video. 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. 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. This trooper has been given additional personal training since this investigation. 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 "Maybe it wasn't the case, but it creates the appearance of coaching, or at least flagging, 'This is something you're going to need to address,' and that's my worry," Baillargeon said. [1], If two or more candidates in a race receive the same number of votes, the election is to be decided by lot. 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. 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. 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. Bakker did not apply for reappointment in this appointment cycle, circuit court administrator Jennifer Brink said, and supported Kengis's application for chief judge in a letter to the Michigan Supreme Court. The United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan has jurisdiction in Allegan County. Circuit Judge Roberts Kengis recused himself because he was the county prosecutor when charges were filed against Loew. Kengis was appointed to the circuit court judgeship in March 2018 by then-governor Rick Snyder after the resignation of Judge Kevin Cronin. Bakker did not submit a request to be reappointed which left an opening for Kengis. Subscribe:Get unlimited access to our local coverage. Message to the Board of Commissioners, Prosecutor Koch, Judge Kengis, Judge Bakker, Sheriff Baker and the people who witness unconstitutional and corrupt actions in Allegan County and do nothing.. If you would like to help our coverage scope grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia. He was elected to a six-year term in 2020. a murder he committed in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1980, Hamilton man pleads guilty to 1980 murder of Virginia woman, Wife: Hamilton man killed their daughter in 1989, dismembered and buried body, Receive 3 months of all-access to The Sentinel's award-winning digital coverage for $1, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Allegan County Circuit Judge Margaret Zuzich-Bakker (MLive File Photo)Emil Lippe | MLive.com. Under the plea agreement announced by Chief Assistant Prosecutor Tiffiny Montenegro and defense attorney James Miller, Field will plead no contest to three counts of attempted aggravated indecent exposure, one count of perjury, one count of unauthorized practice of a health profession, one count of health care fraud and one count of possession of marijuana. SMC completed its investigation in late September 2017 when they fired Field. The murder was onlyconnected to Bowman in 2018 when detectives used a genealogy database searchingtechnique toidentify a DNA sample from the decades-old case. Loew currently is free while awaiting the outcome of his appeal. Michigan Court of Appeals 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. Briefs in the case are expected to be filed within the coming months, at which point oral arguments will be scheduled. 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 . In August, Bakker also recused herself from hearing the motion for a new trial. 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. "Since Judge Kengis was appointed, Judge Bakker and Judge Kengis have worked together on chief duties, and the two plan on continuing this practice moving forward," Brink wrote in an email. Koch was named to the position by Chief Circuit Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker, on Tuesday. By using this website, you agree to comply with all of the terms of use . non-substantive) matters.". Allegan County Circuit Court Judge Roberts Kengis was asked to disqualify himself from the case and agreed to do so in a hearing Thursday. Michigan is one of 43 states that hold elections for judicial positions. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. prosecutorial candidate Michael Villar accused his opponent, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. .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 Michigan Probate Courts, Courts in Michigan Michigan judicial elections Judicial selection in Michigan. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. 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. 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. He was sentenced last November to at least 20 years in prison. Bakker was immediately appointed chief judge and served 11 years as chief judge. The prosecutor said the emails and information were not shared with the assistant prosecutor trying the case. He obtained the emails through a Freedom of Information Act request. Plaintiff Jonathan King Meyer filed a pro se complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. "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.". Cheshire Hills Golf Course . The point is she tried. She said the counseling took place there and the sexual relations at Fields home next door to the center. Bowman, 72, is charged with her murder. Jan Murray. The victim was a student of Fields at SMC and also went to him for counseling at the Family Center in Dowagiac. Allegan, MI 49010 On Jan. 1, the Michigan Supreme Court announced Judge Roberts Kengis would replace Bakker in supervising the 48th Circuit Court. Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our local coverage. CASSOPOLIS A former Southwestern Michigan College instructor accused of having improper relations with a student he was counseling has accepted a plea deal just days before his trial was to start. Bakker, who remains on the bench, served in the role for 11 years. His case was bound over for a jury trial in Allegan County's 48th Circuit Court last month. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Although Koch didn't directly prosecute the case for the county, she was the supervisor of the assistant prosecutor who did. 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; } Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at cmuyskens@hollandsentinel.com and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens. The jury found the Defendant guilty based on that evidence. 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. 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. The Michigan Supreme Court is providing the information on this website as a public service. The two then exchanged several emails about the lack of a medical exam. If any of these apply to you, contact the court to verify they observe the exemption. While Koch said she did not talk to her assistant prosecutor about the judges remarks, Lynch said in court filings that APA Jipp had ample time to adjust her trial strategy and presentation of evidence to address concerns the judge voiced with remarkable candor., He said the trial transcript indicates that APA Jipp indeed addressed the issues raised by Judge Bakker.. Subscribe:Receive 3 months of all-access to The Sentinel's award-winning digital coverage for $1. The Michigan Supreme Court will ultimately decide after agreeing to hear oral arguments in the case of Daniel Loew. As the presiding officer of the court, a chief judge shall: (a) call and preside over meetings of the court; (b) appoint committees of the court; (c) initiate policies concerning the courts internal operations and its position on external matters affecting the court; (d) meet regularly with all chief judges.. Hours: Open Weekdays 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Marcia Johnson. 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. 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.. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Share & Bookmark, Press Enter to show all options, press Tab go to next option, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests, Annual Reports and State of the County Report. 269-226-5014. craig.chindemi@ascension.org. Redistricting Maps Take Affect for 2022 Elections. The chief judges will remain in place until the MI Supreme Court reviews applications and makes the next round of appointments in two years. Kengis was the chief prosecuting attorney when. Bakker was Allegan Countys first female circuit court judge. Kengis replaces Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker who had been elected to the circuit court in 2010. 3283 122nd Ave. Rob Kengis. 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]. Bowman says he hid Aundria's body in a barn on the property and called police to report that she had run away. Bakker also asked why the victim in the case had not been given a medical exam. 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. Judiciary Courts of the Stt can be contacted via phone at (269) 673-8471 for pricing, hours and directions. Sarah Leach is editor of The Holland Sentinel. Before that, she worked 28 years as an assistant prosecutor, the last eight as chief prosecutor. 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. Presiding Family Court Judge, Allegan County, Michigan Judge Bakker says, "Myrene has demonstrated an outstanding ability to represent the peoples interests in criminal prosecutions before this Court and as Chief Assistant has demonstrated strong administrative abilities that will serve her and the County of Allegan well as Prosecutor.. 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. 113 Chestnut Street, Allegan, MI49010 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 After the emails were discovered, Villar saidhe filed complaints against Koch and Bakker with the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission and Attorney Grievance Commission, respectively. Allegan County Friend of the Court et al 1:2021cv00195 | US District Court for the Western District of Michigan | Justia Collet v. Allegan County Friend of the Court et al RSS Track this Docket Docket Report This docket was last retrieved on March 3, 2021. 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