113 Chestnut Street, Allegan, MI49010 (269) 673-0300, Honorable Roberts Kengis
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. He was sentenced to a minimum 20 years in prison on each charge. The people of Allegan County are served by the Michigan Third District Court of Appeals, a circuit court, district court, and probate court. "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. He replaces Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker, who served 11 years as chief judge. 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. The defense said the emails show misconduct. Recount in Allegan County prosecutor race confirms same winner by 17 votes, Judge said man who killed 3 women should never go free but felon seeking parole after 48 years, Family of WMU student slain in 1972 awaits killers parole ruling. 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. Bowman strangled and stabbed a 25-year-old woman, Kathleen O'Brien Doyle,in her home. 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. "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.". 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.. *Please call to verify. Villar, a private practice attorney, later lost the electionby a handful of votes. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Community Volunteer . 100% remote. 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. However, the Michigan Court of Appeals reversed that decision in a split 2-1 opinion in January this year. She said the counseling took place there and the sexual relations at Fields home next door to the center. 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. 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. 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. The case was tried by assistant prosecuting attorney Emily Jipp. 2023 www.hollandsentinel.com. Honorable Michael L. Buck . The emails between Koch and Judge Margaret Bakker showed the two discussing the case while Loew's trial was occurring in Bakker's courtroom. Koch and her husband married in 1993. *Not location specific. 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. Rob Kengis. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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]. Jennifer Garcia. Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below. 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. The incidents occurred between September 2015 and early 2018 when he perjured himself during a court hearing. Judiciary Courts of the Stt is located at 113 Chestnut St in Allegan, Michigan 49010. Bowman told detectives thaton the day he reported 14-year-old Aundria missing, March 11, 1989, he came home to find Aundria had broken into her parents' room, normally kept locked, and was getting ready to run away. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. The half hour hearing Friday afternoon featured Field being sworn in and agreeing to the no contest pleas on the seven charges. According to testimony from detectives, Bowman claimsthat he and Aundria physically fought and Aundria fell down the stairs, breaking herneck. 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. Kengis was appointed to the circuit court judgeship in March 2018 by then-governor Rick Snyder after the resignation of Judge Kevin Cronin. My office is contemplating an appeal. All rights reserved. 269-226-5014. craig.chindemi@ascension.org. 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. 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 Apply today! Jan Murray. The murder was onlyconnected to Bowman in 2018 when detectives used a genealogy database searchingtechnique toidentify a DNA sample from the decades-old case. More:Hamilton man pleads guilty to 1980 murder of Virginia woman, More:Wife: Hamilton man killed their daughter in 1989, dismembered and buried body. In the nonpartisan primary, the two candidates who receive the greatest number of votes advance to the general election. A more recent docket listing may be available from PACER . 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. .courts-header { font-size:150%;background-color:#334aab;color:white;} Copyright 2023, Wilcox Newspapers. 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). On Jan. 1, the Michigan Supreme Court announced Judge Roberts Kengis would replace Bakker in supervising the 48th Circuit Court. 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.. The two then exchanged several emails about the lack of a medical exam. She became a judge on Jan. 1, 2010. In a hearing Thursday, Judge Roberts Kengis alerted the attorneys tohis history with the case. Loew currently is free while awaiting the outcome of his appeal. Judge Kengis relied on the testimony from the 2018 preliminary hearing in the case for his findings of fact in accepting Fields plea. 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; } Penny Brown . She has been recognized for her volunteer work with South Haven Public Schools and the Allegan County Coordinating Council on Domestic and Sexual Violence. 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. This county is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates. Bakker was immediately appointed chief judge and served 11 years as chief judge. The chief judges will remain in place until the MI Supreme Court reviews applications and makes the next round of appointments in two years. In 2020, Kengis was elected to the circuit court. Contact her at sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com or follow her on Twitter @SentinelLeach. Subscribe:Receive 3 months of all-access to The Sentinel's award-winning digital coverage for $1. Sarah Leach is editor of The Holland Sentinel. Justices Christopher Murray and Jane Markey were in the majority, saying the emails didnt provide an advantage to the prosecution. By using this website, you agree to comply with all of the terms of use . ", Koch responded, "They do but not typically for CSCs. I will add that this case was decided by a jury based on the evidence presented in the courtroom. 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. 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. Michigan Circuit Court To learn more about judicial selection in Michigan, click here. Plaintiff Jonathan King Meyer filed a pro se complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 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. The Michigan Supreme Court votes on the appointment of chief judges for Michigan courts every two years. Allegan County Circuit Court Judge Roberts Kengis was asked to disqualify himself from the case and agreed to do so in a hearing Thursday. 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. Bakker was Allegan County's first female circuit court judge. 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. http://www.allegancounty.org/Government/CC/Index.asp?pt=, The Public Access to Court Records (PACER), 36th Judicial Circuit Court Van Buren County. Bowman, 72, is charged with her murder. Myrene Koch will replace Robert Kengis as Allegan County Prosecuting Attorney on March 19. Ms. Kochs response acknowledged the criticism and acknowledged the breakdown in procedure. Kengis was the chief prosecuting attorney when. 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. If you would like to help our coverage scope grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia. Neither side objected in court to Kengis'decision to recuse himself. 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. 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. ", Bakker wrote back, "One more question this victim was not referred for a medical, do you know why?". Briefs in the case are expected to be filed within the coming months, at which point oral arguments will be scheduled. Koch a 1992 graduate of Michigan State received her JD from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1999. The same date Kengis starts as a Circuit Judge. The Michigan Supreme Court will ultimately decide after agreeing to hear oral arguments in the case of Daniel Loew. 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 case likely will be heard in 2023. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). Dont they have detectives anymore?, The next morning, Koch replied: They do but not typically for CSCs. The emails were something between idle chat and administrative communication.. Redistricting Maps Take Affect for 2022 Elections. prosecutorial candidate Michael Villar accused his opponent, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Hours: Open Weekdays 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 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 . Example video title will go here for this video. Before that, she worked 28 years as an assistant prosecutor, the last eight as chief prosecutor. Allegan County Prosecutor Myrene Koch disagreed with the retrial order and said her office is considering an appeal. 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. 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 Field had been a popular instructor at the college before his dismissal. 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. 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. Circuit Judge Roberts Kengis recused himself because he was the county prosecutor when charges were filed against Loew. Circuit Court Judge, Honorable Michael Buck
The United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan has jurisdiction in Allegan County. 2023 www.hollandsentinel.com. 113 Chestnut Street, Allegan, MI 49010 Allegan County Court System Type: Civil, General Civil - Unlimited, General Civil - Limited, Small Claims, Complex Commercial, Foreclosures and Liens, Real Estate Title and Boundary, Criminal, Mental Health Division: Contact Information: Phone Number: 269-673-0400 Fax: 269-673-0490 ALLEGAN Should a criminal defendant in Allegan County get a new trial after claiming he didn't get a fair shake? He was sentenced last November to at least 20 years in prison. Bakker, who remains on the bench, served in the role for 11 years. 113 Chestnut St.
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.. More:Appeals court walks back new trial for man after prosecutor, judge emailed during trial. 48th Judicial Circuit Court
Have a news tip? Get unlimited access to our local coverage, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Allegan County Circuit Court Judge. Judge Kengis is an Allegan Circuit judge who was assigned the case when Cass County Circuit Judge Mark Herman recused himself. After the trooper left the witness stand, Bakker emailed Koch: This trooper didnt do a very good investigation. If any of these apply to you, contact the court to verify they observe the exemption. 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. That decision in a hearing Thursday 10 in Cass County Circuit Court.... 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