On Tuesday, October 31, 2023, the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission scheduled a hearing for oral argument in the matter of Paul J. Cusick, judge of the 3rd Circuit Court in Detroit.

The case is entitled “In the Matter of Paul J. Cusick,” with case no. 104.

Cusick centers around five counts of violations of the Michigan Court Rules, Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct, and the Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct. The first count alleges that Judge Cusick allowed a witness to testify falsely about their motive to cooperate and limited the scope of questioning to conceal the fact that the witness was cooperating to benefit their boyfriend, a defendant in another case. The second count alleges that Judge Cusick called the same witness to testify at a subsequent hearing and concealed both their motive to testify and the fact that they had been untruthful previously.

The third count alleges that Judge Cusick withheld evidence about the same two cooperators in two criminal cases and that he also withheld the evidence from the prosecutor who took over his cases when he left the Attorney General’s office. The fourth count alleges that Judge Cusick failed to disclose the existence of a res gestae witness and obstructed cross-examination that might have led to identifying him. The last count alleges that Judge Cusick made false or misleading statements in his answers to the Commission’s Request for Comments and 28-Day Letter.

The Disciplinary Counsel recently filed its objections to the master’s report in the case of Cusick.  The Disciplinary Counsel raised several concerns regarding the master’s findings and conclusions, arguing that the report contained factual and logical errors and ignored extensive evidence that supported the allegations of misconduct against Judge Cusick.

To advance the proceedings, the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission scheduled a hearing for oral argument. The hearing will take place on Monday, January 8, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at the Michigan Court of Appeals, Cadillac Place, 3034 W. Grand Blvd, Suite 14-300, Detroit, MI 48202.

Judge Paul J. Cusick earned a law degree from Wayne State University. The Judge’s Courtroom is located at 1441 St Antoine, Detroit, MI 48226, and can be reached at (313) 224-2461. His bio can be found on ballotpedia.com.

A copy of the original filing can be found here.