untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint is not the only community with juducial issues! We have contempt cases in Marables Court and disputed contempt cases involving bailiffs in Hayman's court. And before that we had the magistrate issue and questions regarding a district court administrator from Detroit. But we have nothing like ths case in Wayne. At least, not yet.
Courts sued over firing tied to Judge Sylvia James
May 26, 2012 |
By Melanie D. Scott
Detroit Free Press Staff Writer
A former Inkster District Court administrator has filed a lawsuit against the court and the 21st District Court in Garden City, alleging she was fired for participating in a misconduct hearing against her former boss.
Pamela Anderson, who was also a magistrate at the 22nd District Court in Inkster, said she was discriminated against and eventually terminated for participating and testifying in a misconduct hearing against her former boss, Judge Sylvia James.
The lawsuit, filed earlier this month in Wayne County Circuit Court, also names Judge Richard Hammer Jr., the chief judge of both 21st and 22nd district courts, and the current Inkster court administrator, Sally Huskins.
According to the lawsuit, Hammer was displeased with the way Anderson participated in James' misconduct hearing.
"She didn't do anything wrong. She's not dirty, and she did what she was ordered to do," Tom Pabst, Anderson's attorney, said in reference to her work for James and participating in the hearing.
James was the subject of a Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission misconduct hearing that accused her of using court funds for travel, self-promotion and to make charitable donations. James was found guilty of misconduct in April, and the Judicial Tenure Commission is expected to make a recommendation in the matter by June 15.
Attorneys representing the 21st District Court, 22nd District Court, Hammer and Huskins could not be reached for comment.
In addition to losing her job, the lawsuit said Anderson lost wages, earning capacity and suffered emotional distress and damage to her reputation. Anderson is seeking damages.
The lawsuit also alleges Anderson was treated differently from other employees at the courthouse because Hammer did not speak to her or invite her to certain meetings and would not disseminate staff-wide memos to her.
Anderson was removed as court administrator March 9 after having the position at least five years, Pabst said. The lawsuit states Anderson was replaced by Huskins.
On March 16, the lawsuit says, Hammer asked Anderson to delete two cases from the computer system.
When Anderson said deleting cases would be a violation of the law, pointing out that she no longer had the authority because she was no longer the court administrator, she said Hammer "displayed displeasure and even outright anger."
Anderson went on to ask Hammer to put his request in writing and, as a result, he terminated her and gave her 30 minutes to clean out her office, the lawsuit says.
"Judge Hammer was conducting his own investigation into what happened (with James) and somehow, some way, believed Ms. Anderson was in cahoots with Judge James," Pabst said. "He thought she knew what was going on and acted on that mind-set."
Anderson is currently looking for work, Pabst said.
Contact Melanie D. Scott: 313-222-6159 or mdscott@freepress.com |
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