On Thursday, October 16, 2025, the Detroit Free Press reported that retired Judge Alexander Lipsey recommended the dismissal of misconduct complaints against two metro Detroit judges, Demetria Brue of the 36th District Court and Debra Nance of the 46th District Court in Southfield.
Lipsey, appointed as a “master” to oversee the Judicial Tenure Commission hearings, submitted his recommendations to the commission on October 14. The commission will now decide whether to drop the charges or recommend disciplinary actions, such as censure, suspension, or removal, to the Michigan Supreme Court.
The case stems from a 2019 incident on Mackinac Island involving a dispute over a $23 bike rental. Judges Brue and Nance rented bikes from the Mackinac Island Bike Shop, where an issue with one of the bikes led to a heated exchange with the shop owner, Ira Green. The situation escalated, involving a physical interaction over a receipt and subsequent police intervention.
Lipsey’s report strongly criticized the Judicial Tenure Commission for pursuing the matter to a formal hearing. He stated that the “petty” argument should have been resolved earlier and that the proceedings had been detrimental to all parties involved. In Brue’s case, Lipsey found no basis for the misconduct charges. He had previously suggested dismissing Nance’s case before her hearing, but proceeded at the commission’s request.
Lynn Helland, executive director of the Judicial Tenure Commission, declined to comment on Lipsey’s statements, citing the ongoing proceedings. He noted that a separate attorney handles the case after a complaint is filed and directed inquiries to that attorney, who did not immediately respond.
Philip Thomas, Brue’s attorney, praised Lipsey’s findings as a victory for Brue and all Michigan judges. He described the complaint as “garbage” and Lipsey’s report as a “scathing evaluation of the meritless case” brought by the commission. Nance, who represented herself, and her other lawyers could not be reached for comment.
The hearings involved extensive examination of the incident, with a memory expert, lip readers, shop workers, police officers, and the judges themselves providing testimony. The focus was on interpreting phrases used during the encounter. Lipsey summarized the situation as a trivial dispute that escalated into a six-year conflict, costing thousands of dollars.
The commission accused Brue and Nance of lying about the incident. Brue was also accused of falsely claiming she was assaulted and failing to cooperate with investigators. Brue argued that the shop owner was racist and that she was merely trying to retrieve her receipt. Nance claimed her alleged false statements were based on personal perceptions and the passage of time since the incident.
Lipsey questioned the credibility of a shop worker and the shop owner’s explanation for discarding the original receipt. He deemed Brue’s claim of assault “weak” but not misconduct, stating she reasonably believed the receipt was hers. He also found insufficient evidence that Brue made a specific statement about the shop owner being a Caucasian man found guilty of striking an African American female judge.
Lipsey criticized the commission for charging Brue with non-cooperation, noting she had answered many questions but objected to some regarding attorney-client communications. He argued that Brue was not obligated to comply “blindly” with the commission’s requests. Regarding Nance, Lipsey acknowledged the difficulty of recalling details months after the event. He also suggested that evidence supported her perception that an officer was dismissive, despite the recorded length of the conversation.
Lipsey further criticized the commission’s attorneys for incorrectly stating that Nance was forced to testify under subpoena, a statement they later retracted. While Lipsey’s recommendations call for dismissal, the commission will now hear objections, responses, and arguments before making its final decision.
Source: Detroit Free Press
