On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, the Michigan Supreme Court approved a consent agreement involving Judge Bradley S. Knoll of the 58th District Court, following a recommendation from the Judicial Tenure Commission.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Judge Bradley S. Knoll,” with case number 107.
The agreement stipulates that Judge Knoll will retire on July 1, 2026, and will refrain from presiding over any cases involving charges of domestic violence at any stage of the proceedings. Furthermore, after his retirement, he is barred from seeking or accepting any appointment as a visiting judge until after January 1, 2027, and may not take any case that arises from or contains any charge of domestic violence at any stage of the proceedings.
The Supreme Court’s decision comes after reviewing the Judicial Tenure Commission’s findings, which stem from an incident on December 13, 2023, at Judge Knoll’s residence. According to the findings, Judge Knoll was attempting to convince his 12-year-old grandson to attend school when an argument ensued. Judge Knoll’s wife, Shawn, intervened, and Judge Knoll admitted to striking her with an open hand and slapping her on the head.
Following the incident, the grandson called 911, and Grand Haven police were dispatched to the Knoll residence, where they interviewed Shawn and the grandson. Judge Knoll was later arrested in the parking lot of the Holland District Court and interrogated by police officers. At the conclusion of the interview, Judge Knoll responded with profanity to a detective.
Judge Knoll pleaded guilty to domestic assault under MCL 769.4a and successfully completed his probation, resulting in the dismissal of the case without a conviction. The incident generated negative publicity for the judiciary and the 58th District Court.
In its decision, the Michigan Supreme Court referenced standards set forth in In re Brown, 461 Mich 1291, 1292-1293 (2000), which provide guidelines for evaluating judicial misconduct. These standards consider factors such as whether the misconduct is part of a pattern, whether it occurred on or off the bench, and the extent to which it affects the administration of justice.
The court found that Judge Knoll’s conduct violated the Code of Judicial Conduct, specifically Canon 2A, which emphasizes maintaining public confidence in the judiciary and avoiding impropriety, and Canon 2B, which requires judges to respect the law and treat others with courtesy.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
