About the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission

The Judicial Tenure Commission serves to promote the integrity of the judicial process and preserve public confidence in the courts. 

The Commission strives to hold state judges, magistrates, and referees accountable for their misconduct without jeopardizing or compromising the essential independence of the judiciary. The basis for Commission action is a violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct or Rules of Professional Conduct, which are published with the Michigan Rules of Court. 

Michigan created the Commission when voters passed an amendment to Article 6, § 30 of the Michigan Constitution in August, 1968. The enabling court rule is now codified in MCR 9.200.

More detailed information regarding the Commission is available through the Home Page.  The "How to File a Grievance" tab provides access to a Request for Investigation form and filing instructions.  The "Investigation and Complaint Process" tab generally explains the Commission's procedures, while "FAQs" provides answers to the most commonly asked questions submitted to the Commission staff.  The "Pending & Resolved Formal Proceedings" tab allows access to an alphabetical list of disciplined judges, as well as those formal complaints that are pending and those that were dismissed without a sanction.  "Reference Material provides copies of the primary legal provisions under which the Commission acts, along with summaries of some cases where the Commission issued a confidential admonishment, caution, or explanatory letter to a judicial officer. "Michigan Supreme Court Decisions" lists cite references to the Supreme Court's opinions addressing judicial disciplinary cases, with some links to more recent Supreme Court decisions.

For allegations of improper conduct by attorneys, federal judicial officers, or administrative law judges (over which the Commission does not have jurisdiction), please refer to one of the resources below:

If you have a complaint concerning an attorney practicing in Michigan, the Judicial Tenure Commission cannot assist you.  Please contact the:

Attorney Grievance Commission
PNC Center

755 W Big Beaver Rd., Suite 2100
Troy, MI 48084
(313) 961-6585
www.agcmi.org


If you have a complaint concerning a federal judge or magistrate (even if he or she is sitting in a federal court located in Michigan), the Judicial Tenure Commission cannot assist you.  Please contact the:

United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Office of the Circuit Executive
503 Potter Stewart U.S. Courthouse
100 E. Fifth Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-3988
(513) 564-7000
US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

(To view the rules regarding complaints based on judicial misconduct or disability on the Sixth Circuit web site, click on "Judicial Complaint" under the "CIRCUIT EXECUTIVE" heading on the left.)


If you have a complaint concerning an administrative law judge, the Judicial Tenure Commission cannot assist you.  Please contact the respective department or agency in which the administrative law judge sits for further information regarding any available complaint process.


DISCLAIMER

The Judicial Tenure Commission provides the information on this web site as a service to the Internet public.  All information is intended to be complete and timely.  However, the Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of this information and assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions.

The Judicial Tenure Commission does not provide legal advice or explain legal procedures.  Those matters should be reviewed with an attorney. 
 
Although some of the information contained on this web site addresses legal matters relating to disciplinary proceedings, it is only intended to assist the public in obtaining a general understanding of the judicial disciplinary process.  The underlying facts concerning every grievance are different, and the material contained on this web site is not intended to be used to definitively assess a judge’s conduct. 

This web site contains links to other web sites.  The Commission does not assume any responsibility for the content found on those sites.
 
The content of this web site is administered by the Judicial Tenure Commission staff. Please e-mail comments or questions regarding the site or general procedural issues, but not about potential or pending Requests for Investigation, to:

judicialtenure@courts.mi.gov
 

or call (313) 875-5110, and ask to speak to the Web Site Administrator.