By Elizabeth Ferszt
Contributing Writer
Judge Thomas Wilson received an extension to respond to a complaint issued against him by the Judicial Tenure Commission of the State of Michigan. He originally had until Sept. 25 to file an answer. The JTC filed the formal complaint on Sept. 11, including eight counts of alleged misconduct in the courtroom, in his chambers, and/or in the courthouse working environment, going back to 2007 when he was first seated as a judge in the 4th Circuit Court, Jackson.
According to a spokesperson in the Detroit offices of the JTC, Wilson’s attorney Thomas Cranemer filed for an extension to the 14-day required time to respond. Wilson now has until Oct. 22 to answer the eight counts, which include sexual harassment of fellow judges in the 4th Circuit and the 12th District courts of Jackson County, as well as female prosecutors and attorneys.
Other allegations include consuming alcohol on the job, and/or being inebriated on the job, including on the bench while hearing cases. Wilson is also alleged to have interfered in criminal proceedings involving a PPO and bond terms in a domestic violence case. There are also several conflicts of interest alleged in his own real estate or property; and with family members as litigants being represented by attorneys with active cases in his court. Wilson also attempted to pressure a fellow judge to fraudulently sign off on his child support due — reducing it to zero — in his divorce case with his former wife, Julie Wilson.
Wilson also allegedly told his law clerks to mis-categorize or index his pending cases (that he had not yet decided or written a decision for), in order to avoid the 56-day rule that requires a judge to decide cases within that time frame, or else report them to the state as not disposed.
