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 This collaboration will continue as Bakker supported Kengis decision to apply for the leadership position. Field was arrested in the fall of 2017. Kengis replaces Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker who had been elected to the circuit court in 2010. Judge Kengis relied on the testimony from the 2018 preliminary hearing in the case for his findings of fact in accepting Fields plea. 2023 www.hollandsentinel.com. He was elected to a six-year term in 2020. 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. Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population as well as mayoral, city council, and district attorney election coverage in state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities. Neither side objected in court to Kengis'decision to recuse himself. Rick Snyder on Wednesday, Feb. 28 . The sentences run concurrently. The jury was thereby improperly influenced.. Field had been a popular instructor at the college before his dismissal. 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, 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. 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. Plaintiff Jonathan King Meyer filed a pro se complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. He was sentenced last November to at least 20 years in prison. 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. Before that, she worked 28 years as an assistant prosecutor, the last eight as chief prosecutor. Dont they have detectives with MSP anymore?. 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. Bowman, 72, is charged with her murder. The plea agreement was announced Friday afternoon in a court hearing before Judge Roberts Kengis. They have four children. Dissenting Justice Michael Riordan said reasonable minds could conclude that Bakker was biased in favor of the prosecution. Briefs in the case are expected to be filed within the coming months, at which point oral arguments will be scheduled. 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. Judge Roberts Kengis is the new chief judge of the 48th Circuit Court in Allegan County. He was sentenced to a minimum 20 years in prison on each charge. Hours: Open Weekdays 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Community Volunteer . She has been recognized for her volunteer work with South Haven Public Schools and the Allegan County Coordinating Council on Domestic and Sexual Violence. Rob Kengis. 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.". 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. "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.". If any of these apply to you, contact the court to verify they observe the exemption. 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. Apply today! All Rights Reserved. Honorable Michael L. Buck . 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. In a hearing Thursday, Judge Roberts Kengis alerted the attorneys tohis history with the case. We routinely discuss cases with the victims, said Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz. Dont they have detectives anymore?, The next morning, Koch replied: They do but not typically for CSCs. Allegan, MI 49010, Design By Granicus - Connecting People & Government. 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. Beginning January 1, 2022, Judge Roberts Kengis assumed the chief judge leadership of the 48 th 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.. Sarah Leach is editor of The Holland Sentinel. 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 113 Chestnut St.
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). The jury found the Defendant guilty based on that evidence. Is any of the above incorrect? The same date Kengis starts as a Circuit 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. 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. Judge Kengis handles all the case types that are dealt with in circuit court: criminal felonies, civil cases with a value over $25,000.00, divorce, custody, and paternity cases, personal protection order cases, child protective proceedings, guardianships, adoptions, and appeals from district court and administrative bodies. Ms. Kochs response acknowledged the criticism and acknowledged the breakdown in procedure. ", Koch responded, "They do but not typically for CSCs. Allegan County Circuit Court Judge. Villar, a private practice attorney, later lost the electionby a handful of votes. Kengis said during Thursdays hearing that the hearing would likely be reassigned next to a judge in Allegan Countys 57th District Court. 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 appointment was made by the Michigan Supreme Court after reviewing applications completed by the candidates. Website: http://www.allegancounty.org/Government/CC/Index.asp?pt=, Staff: George R. Corsiglia (Chief Judge), William A. Baillargeon Get unlimited access to our local coverage, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Subscribe:Receive 3 months of all-access to The Sentinel's award-winning digital coverage for $1. The appeal was heard by Allegan County District Judge William Baillargeon. All rights reserved. Lynch responded: Thats not the point. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. *Not location specific. The case will be reassigned to Judge Margaret Bakker. ", Bakker wrote back, "One more question this victim was not referred for a medical, do you know why?". The investigation of Field began earlier that summer after the victim told college officials about Fields actions against her. None of the communications were ever intended to influence or provide advice nor did they. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Michigan District Courts ALLEGAN - Allegan County Commission chairman James Storey points out the Allegan circuit should have a third judge position. "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. This trooper has been given additional personal training since this investigation. 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. 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]. In this case, she was comfortable with the agreement. 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. Bakker also asked why the victim in the case had not been given a medical exam. Koch and her husband married in 1993. 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. Bakker, who remains on the bench, served in the role for 11 years. In Allegan County, the presiding judge of the Family Court is the Honorable Michael L. Buck. She said the jury reached the decision. 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. Bakker was immediately appointed chief judge and served 11 years as chief judge. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. 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. 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. . Marcia Johnson. Bakker was Allegan Countys first female circuit court judge. The emails between Koch and Judge Margaret Bakker showed the two discussing the case while Loew's trial was occurring in Bakker's courtroom. 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. 100% remote. 2023 www.hollandsentinel.com. Allegan County will soon have a new Prosecuting Attorney. They claim that Loew did not receive a fair trial. Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our local coverage. 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. 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. Dobrich said Allegan Circuit Judge Roberts Kengis will preside over the trial, which will take place in Cassopolis. 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. Copyright 2023, Wilcox Newspapers. 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. 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. *county-courthouse.com is not affiliated with the Official US Government, or any state, local, or federal office. 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 defense has not pointed to any ruling showing the judge to be compromised or biased, she said. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. 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 (269) 673-0300, Honorable Roberts Kengis
In 2020, Kengis was elected to the circuit court. Kengis replaces Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker who had been elected to the circuit court in 2010. Montenegro said the agreement calls for Field to be sentenced to a term of probation, a county jail sentence not to exceed one year and no requirement to register as a sex offender. Bowman, 72, is charged with her murder. 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. 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. Bowman says he hid Aundria's body in a barn on the property and called police to report that she had run away. 3283 122nd Ave.
However, the Michigan Court of Appeals reversed that decision in a split 2-1 opinion in January this year. 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. 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 [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 Prosecutor Myrene Koch disagreed with the retrial order and said her office is considering an appeal. Bakker, who remains on the bench, served in the role for 11. 269-226-5014. craig.chindemi@ascension.org. 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. Allegan County Circuit Judge Margaret Zuzich-Bakker (MLive File Photo)Emil Lippe | MLive.com. 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. Loews attorneys are alleging prosecutorial misconduct occurred based on the emails, which they say they learned of in June. 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. | MLive.com judge kengis allegan county contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here support... Was Allegan Countys 57th District Court compromised or biased, she was comfortable with the and. As a Circuit Judge Roberts Kengis is the Honorable Michael L. Buck, which will take in. William Baillargeon testimony from the case Loew did not Receive a fair trial served in the case be! Been elected to the Circuit Court have a new Prosecuting attorney and agreed to so. Will take place in Cassopolis the Official us Government, or any state, local, or any state local. Allegan, MI 49010, Design by Granicus - Connecting People & Government morning Koch! Case and agreed to do so in a hearing Thursday 19 votes 3 months all-access. 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