On Monday, August 15, 2022, the Disciplinary Counsel filed a motion, entitled Motion to Exceed Page Limit, in the Judicial Tenure Commission of Michigan. The judicial conduct proceeding relates to Kahlilia Y. Davis, Judge of the 36th District Court, City of Detroit, County of Wayne. The case is styled as ‘In the Matter of Judge Kahlilia Y. Davis’ with case number #101.
On March 6, 2020, Judge Davis was charged with seven counts of misconduct based on multiple violations of the Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct (canons), the Michigan Court Rules (MCR), and the Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct (MRPC). The alleged misconduct was outlined in a seven-count complaint, including abuse of contempt of court powers, failing to conduct required evidentiary hearings and making premature judgments, obstruction of court administration, knowingly and intentionally disconnecting video recording equipment and conducting proceedings without an official record, making unauthorized recordings and publishing court proceedings, handicapped parking space violation, and conduct, and making misrepresentations personally, as a judge, and to the commission.
On August 1, 2020, Cynthia Diane Stephens, the appointed Master, concluded that the Disciplinary Counsel has met its burden of proof on Counts I – VI. The Master, however, stated that the petitioner did not prove Count VII, adding that the petitioner failed to prove the allegation in any of claimed instances of misrepresentation.
The motion reads:
“The Master found that some of the allegations of misconduct were supported by a preponderance of the evidence in Count 1 through VI, that some of the allegations were not so proven in these counts, and that Count VII was not proven by a preponderance of the evidence.”
The motion goes on:
“Disciplinary counsel object to the Master’s findings regarding many allegations that the Master found not to have been proven by a preponderance of the evidence. This includes part or all of all seven counts of the complaint.”
The motion continues:
“Despite best efforts, disciplinary counsel cannot responsibly substantiate its support of and objections to the Master’s findings in a 50-page brief, especially within the shortened time for briefing the Supreme Court has permitted. Disciplinary counsel’s best estimate is that its brief will be between 66 and 69 pages long.”
The Disciplinary Counsel is requesting that the Judicial Tenure Commission permit it to file an objection in excess of 50 pages to the Master’s report.
The Judge earned a law degree from the University of Michigan.
The Judge is in Courtroom 337, 421 Madison Street in Detroit, and can be reached at 313-965-2293 https://www.36thdistrictcourt.org/about-us/judges/kahlilia-yvette-davis.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
