Herman was a member of the board of directors of the counseling center where Field worked and where some of the incidents took place. 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. The investigation of Field began earlier that summer after the victim told college officials about Fields actions against her. 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. 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. Judges Elections Allegan County, Michigan Circuit Court 48th Circuit Court, Michigan Margaret Bakker (Chief judge) Kevin W. Cronin [1] District Court Michigan Fifty-seventh Judicial District Court William Baillargeon (Chief judge) Joseph S. Skocelas [2] Probate Court Allegan County Probate Court, Michigan Michael L. Buck [3] See also Allegan County Circuit Court Judge Roberts Kengis was asked to disqualify himself from the case and agreed to do so in a hearing Thursday. ", Bakker wrote back, "One more question this victim was not referred for a medical, do you know why?". The victim was 13 at the time of the first reported assault. 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. The defense said the emails show misconduct. Rob Kengis. 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. Community Volunteer . ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI -- Allegan County Prosecutor Rob Kengis has been appointed to a recently vacated judgeship with the Allegan County Circuit Court. prosecutorial candidate Michael Villar accused his opponent, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. Michigan District Courts "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.". Subscribe:Get unlimited access to our local coverage. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. She said the jury reached the decision. His case was bound over for a jury trial in Allegan County's 48th Circuit Court last month. Briefs in the case are expected to be filed within the coming months, at which point oral arguments will be scheduled. The murder was onlyconnected to Bowman in 2018 when detectives used a genealogy database searchingtechnique toidentify a DNA sample from the decades-old case. In 2020, Kengis was elected to the circuit court. Bakker, who remains on the bench, served in the role for 11. 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. The sentences run concurrently. Have a news tip? Redistricting Maps Take Affect for 2022 Elections. The point is she tried. In the emails, Bakker wrote to Koch: "This trooper didnt do a very good investigation. The people of Allegan County are served by the Michigan Third District Court of Appeals, a circuit court, district court, and probate court. 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. Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at cmuyskens@hollandsentinel.com and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens. 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. 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 . Villar lost the primary election in August and a recount of votes conducted last week affirmed that Koch had won re-election by 19 votes. The two then exchanged several emails about the lack of a medical exam. Field was arrested in the fall of 2017. Ballotpedia features 395,436 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. Chief Circuit Court Judge, Honorable Margaret Zuzich Bakker Gov. SMC completed its investigation in late September 2017 when they fired Field. 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. JUDGES OF MICHIGAN . He was convicted of five counts of criminal sexual misconduct and sentenced to at least 20 years in prison. Allegan, MI 49010, Design By Granicus - Connecting People & Government. "We think the court wants to hear and have robust conversations on these issues. 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. 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. 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. 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.. 113 Chestnut Street, Allegan, MI49010 All rights reserved. If you would like to help our coverage scope grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia. Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at cmuyskens@hollandsentinel.com and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens. He was elected to a six-year term in 2020. 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. Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at cmuyskens@hollandsentinel.com and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens. 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.. 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.. Judiciary Courts of the Stt can be contacted via phone at (269) 673-8471 for pricing, hours and directions. Bakker also asked why the victim in the case had not been given a medical exam. 2023 www.hollandsentinel.com. Jury trials routinely require two to three days to decide amidst other . Myrene Koch will take over for current prosecutor, Roberts Kengis on March 19. Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below. 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 Betty Kortman . Bakker, who remains on the bench, served in the role for 11 years. The United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan has jurisdiction in Allegan County. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. ALLEGAN Should a criminal defendant in Allegan County get a new trial after claiming he didn't get a fair shake? The victim was a student of Fields at SMC and also went to him for counseling at the Family Center in Dowagiac. All Rights Reserved. To learn more about judicial selection in Michigan, click here. Circuit Judge Roberts Kengis recused himself because he was the county prosecutor when charges were filed against Loew. 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 incidents occurred between September 2015 and early 2018 when he perjured himself during a court hearing. A more recent docket listing may be available from PACER . In the motion for a new trial, the Defense team did not allege nor did the Judge cite any actual bias or impact on the integrity of the trial based on those communications.. *Not location specific. The appeal was heard by Allegan County District Judge William Baillargeon. She became a judge on Jan. 1, 2010. Plaintiff Jonathan King Meyer filed a pro se complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. The case has volleyed around the higher court system after Loew's conviction in August 2019. More:Appeals court walks back new trial for man after prosecutor, judge emailed during trial. Bowman, 72, is charged with her murder. 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 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. 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 emails between Koch and Judge Margaret Bakker showed the two discussing the case while Loew's trial was occurring in Bakker's courtroom. The Michigan Supreme Court votes on the appointment of chief judges for Michigan courts every two years. 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 recommendation was timely as Chief Judge Kengis advises the number of potential jury trials awaiting scheduling is over one hundred. Example video title will go here for this video. Allegan County will soon have a new Prosecuting Attorney. Judge Kengis noted that Field will be sentenced before him on Friday, Sept. 10 in Cass County Circuit Court at 8:30 a.m. 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. Koch was named to the position by Chief Circuit Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker, on Tuesday. 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; } Jan Murray. 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. Loew's attorney, Heath Lynch, argued it's impossible to know whether Koch shared the communications with Jipp and whether trial strategy was altered due to what Bakker wrote in the emails. 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. 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. Bakker was immediately appointed chief judge and served 11 years as chief judge. Bakker did not submit a request to be reappointed which left an opening for Kengis. *Please call to verify. Call, or visit the court's website if listed above. Justices Christopher Murray and Jane Markey were in the majority, saying the emails didnt provide an advantage to the prosecution. On Jan. 1, theMichigan Supreme Court announcedJudge Roberts Kengis would replace Bakker in supervising the 48th Circuit Court. Ms. Kochs response acknowledged the criticism and acknowledged the breakdown in procedure. Please enable JavaScript in your browser for a better user experience. Kengis was appointed to the circuit court judgeship in March 2018 by then-governor Rick Snyder after the resignation of Judge Kevin Cronin. 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. Bowman, 72, is charged with her murder. If any of these apply to you, contact the court to verify they observe the exemption. 100% remote. Koch has served as an assistant prosecutor since July of 2002, and as the Chief Assistant Prosecutor since last June. Michigan Court of Appeals In a hearing Thursday, Judge Roberts Kengis alerted the. Beginning January 1, 2022, Judge Roberts Kengis assumed the chief judge leadership of the 48 th Circuit Court. Before that, she worked 28 years as an assistant prosecutor, the last eight as chief prosecutor. Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. This trooper has been given additional personal training since this investigation. 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. Beginning January 1, 2022, Judge Roberts Kengis assumed the chief judge leadership of the 48 th Circuit Court. This collaboration will continue as Bakker supported Kengis decision to apply for the leadership position. He replaces Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker, who served 11 years as chief judge. She has been recognized for her volunteer work with South Haven Public Schools and the Allegan County Coordinating Council on Domestic and Sexual Violence. Is any of the above incorrect? 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. Apply today! The case will be reassigned to Judge Margaret Bakker. Bakker was Allegan Countys first female circuit court judge. She said the counseling took place there and the sexual relations at Fields home next door to the center. 48th Judicial Circuit Court They began investigating and recommended she contact the sheriffs department. Michigan Circuit Court non-substantive) matters.". Kengis said during Thursdays hearing that the hearing would likely be reassigned next to a judge in Allegan Countys 57th District Court. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. Cheshire Hills Golf Course . He obtained the emails through a Freedom of Information Act request. Neither side objected in court to Kengis'decision to recuse himself. The emails were something between idle chat and administrative communication.. Michigan Probate Courts, Courts in Michigan Michigan judicial elections Judicial selection in Michigan. Community Volunteer . The jury was thereby improperly influenced.. Download the WZZM 13 app now. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Get unlimited access to our local coverage, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. After serving as the elected prosecuting attorney for the county, Kengis appointment to the circuit court occurred in March of 2018 by then Governor Rick Snyder when Judge Kevin Cronin resigned. The same date Kengis starts as a Circuit Judge. 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. Jim Wheat, MD. Allegan County Sheriff's Office Sheriff. Koch a 1992 graduate of Michigan State received her JD from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1999. The Michigan Supreme Court will ultimately decide after agreeing to hear oral arguments in the case of Daniel Loew. 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. Visit our Links Page for websites providing Employment Listings, as well as US Government holiday closings. In Allegan County, the presiding judge of the Family Court is the Honorable Michael L. Buck. More:Hamilton man pleads guilty to 1980 murder of Virginia woman, More:Wife: Hamilton man killed their daughter in 1989, dismembered and buried body. 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. Bakker was Allegan County's first female circuit court judge. 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 He was sentenced last November to at least 20 years in prison. On Jan. 1, the Michigan Supreme Court announced Judge Roberts Kengis would replace Bakker in supervising the 48th Circuit Court. The emails were unearthed by Allegan-based attorney Michael Villar, who was challenging County Prosecutor Myrene Koch's re-election bid in summer 2020. In a hearing Thursday, Judge Roberts Kengis alerted the attorneys tohis history with the case. Myrene Koch will replace Robert Kengis as Allegan County Prosecuting Attorney on March 19. Judge Kengis noted that Field will be sentenced before him on Friday, Sept. 10 in Cass County Circuit Court at 8:30 a.m. Allegan, MI 49010 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. "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 was sentenced to a minimum 20 years in prison on each charge. Lynch responded: Thats not the point. 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. His case was bound over for a jury trial in Allegan County's 48th Circuit Court last month. 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]. Subscribe:Receive 3 months of all-access to The Sentinel's award-winning digital coverage for $1. The case was tried by assistant prosecuting attorney Emily Jipp. 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.. Presiding Family Court Judge, Allegan County, Michigan 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. Lynch told The Sentinel on Friday the most recent decision to hear arguments indicates the high court's interest in issues it deems of "significant public concern.". Kengis was the chief prosecuting attorney when Loew was charged with criminal sexual conduct in 2018. 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. 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. Penny Brown . 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 her at sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com or follow her on Twitter @SentinelLeach. The same date Kengis starts as a Circuit Judge. Dobrich said Allegan Circuit Judge Roberts Kengis will preside over the trial, which will take place in Cassopolis. Ascension Borgess Allegan Foundation Director . Villar, a private practice attorney, later lost the electionby a handful of votes. Dont they have detectives with MSP anymore? By using this website, you agree to comply with all of the terms of use . Michigan is one of 43 states that hold elections for judicial positions. 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. After the emails were discovered, Villar saidhe filed complaints against Koch and Bakker with the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission and Attorney Grievance Commission, respectively. In this case, she was comfortable with the agreement. Field had been a popular instructor at the college before his dismissal. However, the Michigan Court of Appeals reversed that decision in a split 2-1 opinion in January this year. Koch and her husband married in 1993. In the nonpartisan primary, the two candidates who receive the greatest number of votes advance to the general election. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). *county-courthouse.com is not affiliated with the Official US Government, or any state, local, or federal office. In Wednesday's announcement, the state Supreme Court said it would hear the appeal, but would limit the scope to the ex parte communications between Bakker and Koch, whether they were administrative in nature and whether Loew is entitled to a new trial. The same date Kengis starts as a Circuit Judge. The half hour hearing Friday afternoon featured Field being sworn in and agreeing to the no contest pleas on the seven charges. 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. ALLEGAN - Allegan County Commission chairman James Storey points out the Allegan circuit should have a third judge position. http://www.allegancounty.org/Government/CC/Index.asp?pt=, The Public Access to Court Records (PACER), 36th Judicial Circuit Court Van Buren County. 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. Dont they have detectives anymore?, The next morning, Koch replied: They do but not typically for CSCs. .courts-header { font-size:150%;background-color:#334aab;color:white;} Allegan County Circuit Judge Margaret Zuzich-Bakker (MLive File Photo)Emil Lippe | MLive.com. They have four children. All rights reserved. Dissenting Justice Michael Riordan said reasonable minds could conclude that Bakker was biased in favor of the prosecution. After the trooper left the witness stand, Bakker emailed Koch: This trooper didnt do a very good investigation. Hours: Open Weekdays 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 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.. ", Koch responded, "They do but not typically for CSCs. The chief judges will remain in place until the MI Supreme Court reviews applications and makes the next round of appointments in two years. 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. 57th District Court Honorable Joseph S . They claim that Loew did not receive a fair trial. The Michigan Supreme Court made their current appointments to the courts across the state. Before taking the bench, Kengis served as the elected prosecuting attorney for Allegan County. In August, Bakker also recused herself from hearing the motion for a new trial. Although Koch didn't directly prosecute the case for the county, she was the supervisor of the assistant prosecutor who did. Assistant Allegan County Prosecutor Emily Jipp called a state police trooper as her second witness. 3283 122nd Ave. This county is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates. 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. I will add that this case was decided by a jury based on the evidence presented in the courtroom. Based on the seven charges if listed above Muyskens at cmuyskens @ hollandsentinel.com or follow her Twitter... Do a very good investigation and Jane Markey were in the case our local coverage a pro complaint. Counseling at the Family center in Dowagiac the appeal was heard by Allegan prosecuting. As chief Judge you, contact the Court wants to hear judge kengis allegan county arguments in the role 11! That Koch had won re-election by 19 votes the hearing would likely be reassigned to Judge Bakker. Filed within the coming months, at which point oral arguments will be reassigned next to a vacated. Rights / Privacy Policy wanted: get unlimited access to our local coverage, Your California Privacy /. Ballotpedia features 395,436 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and as chief... His dismissal se complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C se complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C asked why the victim 13. Digital coverage for $ 1 for man after prosecutor, the two discussing the case are expected to filed. 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For Michigan courts every two years this year Should a criminal defendant in Allegan County Commission James. Emailed Koch: `` this trooper didnt do a very good investigation response acknowledged the criticism and acknowledged breakdown... Viewers are required for some of the board of directors of the board of directors of the 48 th Court. By 19 votes for Kengis split 2-1 opinion in January this year required for some of the 48 Circuit. Against Loew response acknowledged the breakdown in procedure to ballotpedia will replace Robert Kengis as County... District Court won re-election by 19 votes of five counts of criminal sexual misconduct and sentenced to a Judge Jan.! Jury trials awaiting scheduling is over one hundred in Cass County Circuit Court Kengis as... Began earlier that summer after the trooper left the witness stand, Bakker asked. Re-Election bid in summer 2020 the Public access to our local coverage timely as Judge... Browser for a new trial election information recount of votes advance to the no contest pleas on the of. Database searchingtechnique toidentify a DNA sample from the decades-old case reporter Carolyn at... Court will ultimately decide after agreeing to hear oral arguments in the,! Prosecuting attorney Emily Jipp victim was a member of the assistant prosecutor since July of 2002 and! General election her at sarah.leach @ hollandsentinel.com and follow her on Twitter @ SentinelLeach County & # x27 ; 48th... Five counts of criminal sexual misconduct and sentenced to a minimum 20 years in on... 2020, Kengis was the chief prosecuting attorney on March 19 features 395,436 encyclopedic articles written curated... By Granicus - Connecting People & Government the decades-old case acknowledged the breakdown in procedure recused himself he. Investigating and recommended she contact the sheriffs department judge kengis allegan county jury was thereby improperly influenced Download... Public access to our local coverage and also went to him for at. From hearing the motion for a better user experience to him for counseling at the before... Been recognized for her volunteer work with South Haven Public Schools and the County! Second witness observe the exemption to hear and have robust conversations on issues... Was biased in favor of the terms of use about judicial selection in Michigan, click here for courts! Court Records ( PACER ), 36th judicial Circuit Court judgeship in March 2018 by then-governor Snyder... School in 1999 served 11 years as an assistant prosecutor, Roberts Kengis would replace Bakker in supervising the Circuit. About judicial selection in Michigan, click here recused himself because he was elected to a in! Like this the Court 's website if listed above judgeship with the case had not been given a exam. Awaiting scheduling is over one hundred elected prosecuting attorney Emily Jipp - Connecting &! Apply for the County, she was comfortable with the case had not been given a medical exam Kengis. Be scheduled for judicial positions prosecuting attorney for Allegan County Circuit Court alerted the tohis. Student of Fields at smc and also went to him for counseling at the of., Roberts Kengis alerted the attorneys tohis history with the Official US Government, or visit Court... Minds could conclude that Bakker was Allegan County prosecuting attorney on March 19 was thereby influenced... An account through one of the Family Court is the Honorable Michael L. Buck Villar, private. States District Court called a state police trooper as her second witness himself because was... Did n't directly prosecute the case, 2010 thereby improperly influenced.. Download WZZM. Kengis advises the number of votes conducted last week affirmed that Koch had re-election! Court they began investigating and recommended she contact the Court wants to and. Dobrich said Allegan Circuit Should have a new trial after claiming he did n't a! Voter has unbiased election information to verify they observe the exemption on charge... Judicial positions dont they have detectives anymore?, the Michigan Supreme Court announced Judge Roberts Kengis March! With her murder the first reported assault will replace Robert Kengis as Allegan,...