She said the counseling took place there and the sexual relations at Fields home next door to the center. The murder was onlyconnected to Bowman in 2018 when detectives used a genealogy database searchingtechnique toidentify a DNA sample from the decades-old case. Soon after election, she was appointed as chief judge, a position she has held for 11 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. 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. Koch previously told The Sentinel she never discussed the emails with Jipp. SMC completed its investigation in late September 2017 when they fired Field. 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JUDGES OF MICHIGAN . Bakker was immediately appointed chief judge and served 11 years as chief judge. The defense has not pointed to any ruling showing the judge to be compromised or biased, she said. His case was bound over for a jury trial in Allegan County's 48th Circuit Court last month. The investigation of Field began earlier that summer after the victim told college officials about Fields actions against her. Assistant Allegan County Prosecutor Emily Jipp called a state police trooper as her second witness. 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. Chief Circuit Court Judge, Honorable Margaret Zuzich Bakker This collaboration will continue as Bakker supported Kengis decision to apply for the leadership position. Community Volunteer . The case will be reassigned to Judge Margaret Bakker. Bakker was Allegan County's first female circuit court judge. He obtained the emails through a Freedom of Information Act request. 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. Plaintiff Jonathan King Meyer filed a pro se complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. On Jan. 1, theMichigan Supreme Court announcedJudge Roberts Kengis would replace Bakker in supervising the 48th Circuit Court. "We think the court wants to hear and have robust conversations on these issues. Field was arrested in the fall of 2017. None of the communications were ever intended to influence or provide advice nor did they. Sarah Leach is editor of The Holland Sentinel. 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.. The emails between Koch and Judge Margaret Bakker showed the two discussing the case while Loew's trial was occurring in Bakker's courtroom. Ms. Kochs response acknowledged the criticism and acknowledged the breakdown in procedure. The jury found the Defendant guilty based on that evidence. The emails were something between idle chat and administrative communication.. According to testimony from detectives, Bowman claimsthat he and Aundria physically fought and Aundria fell down the stairs, breaking herneck. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. The victim was a student of Fields at SMC and also went to him for counseling at the Family Center in Dowagiac. Bowman, 72, is charged with her murder. Kengis replaces Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker who had been elected to the circuit court in 2010. 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. Michigan Court of Appeals 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. [1], If two or more candidates in a race receive the same number of votes, the election is to be decided by lot. 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 case has volleyed around the higher court system after Loew's conviction in August 2019. non-substantive) matters.". The Michigan Supreme Court is providing the information on this website as a public service. 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. 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.. In a hearing Thursday, Judge Roberts Kengis alerted the attorneys tohis history with the case. Judge Kengis noted that Field will be sentenced before him on Friday, Sept. 10 in Cass County Circuit Court at 8:30 a.m. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Kengis was the chief prosecuting attorney when. By using this website, you agree to comply with all of the terms of use . Have a news tip? Loew currently is free while awaiting the outcome of his appeal. If any of these apply to you, contact the court to verify they observe the exemption. 2023 www.hollandsentinel.com. Bowman says he hid Aundria's body in a barn on the property and called police to report that she had run away. 57th District Court Honorable Joseph S . Justices Christopher Murray and Jane Markey were in the majority, saying the emails didnt provide an advantage to the prosecution. The case was tried by assistant prosecuting attorney Emily Jipp. 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. Kengis was appointed to the circuit court judgeship in March 2018 by then-governor Rick Snyder after the resignation of Judge Kevin Cronin. 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.. Jim Wheat, MD. 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. 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. Before taking the bench, Kengis served as the elected prosecuting attorney for Allegan County. My office is contemplating an appeal. 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. 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. 113 Chestnut St. Judge Kengis is an Allegan Circuit judge who was assigned the case when Cass County Circuit Judge Mark Herman recused himself. He was sentenced last November to at least 20 years in prison. All rights reserved. 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. Bowman, 72, is charged with her murder. 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. Presiding Family Court Judge, Allegan County, Michigan Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. After the trooper left the witness stand, Bakker emailed Koch: This trooper didnt do a very good investigation. 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 Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below. The Michigan Supreme Court votes on the appointment of chief judges for Michigan courts every two years. Ascension Borgess Allegan Foundation Director . 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; } The United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan has jurisdiction in Allegan County. 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. Koch a 1992 graduate of Michigan State received her JD from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1999. Redistricting Maps Take Affect for 2022 Elections. All Rights Reserved. Subscribe:Receive 3 months of all-access to The Sentinel's award-winning digital coverage for $1. Please enable JavaScript in your browser for a better user experience. The two then exchanged several emails about the lack of a medical exam. 113 Chestnut Street, Allegan, MI49010 Bakker also asked why the victim in the case had not been given a medical exam. ", Bakker wrote back, "One more question this victim was not referred for a medical, do you know why?". 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 jury was thereby improperly influenced.. He was elected to a six-year term in 2020. "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. 3283 122nd Ave. Dont they have detectives anymore?, The next morning, Koch replied: They do but not typically for CSCs. 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. Villar, a private practice attorney, later lost the electionby a handful of votes. .courts-header { font-size:150%;background-color:#334aab;color:white;} The same date Kengis starts as a Circuit Judge. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Myrene Koch will take over for current prosecutor, Roberts Kengis on March 19. 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. After the emails were discovered, Villar saidhe filed complaints against Koch and Bakker with the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission and Attorney Grievance Commission, respectively. Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Allegan County Sheriff's Office Sheriff. Dobrich said Allegan Circuit Judge Roberts Kengis will preside over the trial, which will take place in Cassopolis. 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.. 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 "The recommendation was timely as Chief Judge Kengis advises the number of potential jury trials awaiting scheduling is over one hundred. Dissenting Justice Michael Riordan said reasonable minds could conclude that Bakker was biased in favor of the prosecution. Michigan Circuit Court 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. 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. 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. 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.. Call, or visit the court's website if listed above. 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. 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. . The prosecutor said the emails and information were not shared with the assistant prosecutor trying the case. 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