Order in the Court: Local Judge Position to be Eliminated

[XLFD]

As reported in the Muskegon News on Wednesday afternoon:

Oceana and Newaygo counties will lose a circuit judgeship while Mason and Lake counties will lose a district judgeship under legislation Gov. Rick Snyder has signed.

The new law will eliminate judgeships in districts that the State Court Administrative Office, an arm of the Michigan Supreme Court, has identified as having more judges than necessary. The cuts are eventually expected to save taxpayers more than $2 million annually.

The eliminations will be carried out through attrition. They will take effect only when a current judge vacates office through retirement or death, chooses not to run for re-election or is constitutionally barred from re-election due to age.

In West Michigan, the changes affect two regions.

-- The 27th Circuit, which comprises Oceana and Newaygo counties, will go from two judges to one. Currently, judges Terrence R. Thomas and Anthony A. Monton preside in the circuit.

-- The 79th District, Mason and Lake counties, will also drop from two judges to one. District judges Peter J. Wadel and Mark S. Wickens now preside.

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2012/02/judgeships_to_...

 

Mason County is currently served by Hon. Judge Richard Cooper (51st Circuit), Judge Peter Wadel (79th District), and Mark Raven (Probate).  If Mark Wickens of Lake County is retained, we will lose Judge Wadel, who I maintain is a proven jurist of good repute to justice.  It will be a sad day for the County to lose him, and not only that, it will be a poor maneuver by the state if they want to save money.

 

Why would I say that?

 

Nearly $100,000 of reasons.

 

Here is the amount of money that the judges receive from Mason County and the State, this information received recently from a FOIA request.

 

Judge Cooper:  $37,440

Judge Wadel:   $49,384

Judge Raven:  $143,579

 

 

Is Judge Raven worth about 4 Judge Coopers and 3 Judge Wadels?  I didn't think so, and so we contacted the County's FOIA coordinator to make sure it was not a misprint.  He said:  "No, that is not a misprint. Judge Raven’s wages are set by the State of Michigan and the state reimburses the county for a portion of his wages."

 

Of the $230,403 paid out in public funds, the elimination of Judge Wadel's position will only save the taxpayers 21% of their current costs.  If Judge Raven's position is eliminated, 62% of the costs will be saved.  Each of the three judges can currently serve each other's courts in a plan of concurrent jurisdiction.  If the state wants to save money, why don't they eliminate the biggest drain of the money?  

[AQUAMAN]

Hmmm, that's a strange pay scale difference, esp. since Cooper has over 30 years in or so, while the other two only 10-15 or so. I feel Pete Wadel is the best of the crew, just my opinion. His like will be sorely missed if forced to retire soon, but I think he has several years left before attrition would take affect. That District Court is really busy, so I don't know who would take up that slack, esp. since Cooper is the eldest, and should be retiring very soon anyhow.

[XLFD]

The State's Judicature Act has the maximums allowable and extra amounts that judges may qualify for.  My opinion is that the State should take $50,000+ off the top of Judge Raven's salary and we can retain the three judges, and not have jack-of-all-trades jurists for each of the three court branches.  Judge Raven might not like it too much, but I think Judge Wadel might.  Wadel is a quality judge, and I hope he makes his talents available if he is dismissed.  I would like to see him take Judge Cooper's place if he does retire soon.

The revelation about Judge Cooper's sub-$40,000 salary surprised me due to his experience, his case profile, and his work load.  He currently has the Baby Kate case, the wind farm case, and my FOIA case, which is probably getting to be as much or more paperwork as the wind farm case.  I can't think of any involved cases the others are currently in.

[Dave]

Funny that we seem to find more news about Ludington from other sources then we do from LDN

[XLFD]

Isn't it?  Most real 'news' about Ludington seems to originate from WMOM, WOOD, WZZM, The Traverse City Record-Eagle, M-Live and others.  If you want opinion on that news or news that it doesn't deem to print, check out Facebook or our humble publication, where the news can be read, commented on, and reported 24/7/52. 

[AQUAMAN]

Question: if Cooper is just now approaching the $37K mark in pay, while his own secretaries make almost as much now, that means he made less all these 30 years back, given pay scales for county employees usually escalate from one year to the next. That being the case, how does the man live in a beautiful comfortable and spacious $500K home on acreage in Hamlin on Dewey Rd., probably paying over $5K in property taxes alone? And also be able to afford at least 100+ acres out east in Custer or thereabouts, also paying taxes on that? Plus pay the household expenses. drive nice cars/trucks, bring up children, fund their college expenses, and so forth? Something doesn't ring true, unless his wife is wealthy........I don't know......does anyone else?

[XLFD]

That figure struck me as incredibly small as well, but that's the figure reported to the IRS.  Maybe he's like Ludington's City Attorney/Law Firm and gets the majority of his money as an independently contracted Circuit Court Judge.  Who knows nowadays, with all the laws on the books that are either ignored or twisted around by those with legal wands.

[AQUAMAN]

From what I heard now again, the acreage in Custer also has a nice cabin, about $100K worth now, and he also owns and flies his own plane, not a jet, but a propeller driven, so what's the deal with that tainted figure of earnings? Can't be.............just can't.

[XLFD]

A nice resource available to those that investigate such things is provided by the County website at this link:  http://www.liaa.org/masonparcels/propertysearch.asp

Using that you can find out what you need to know about county property owners, just put in their last name.  Both of Judge Cooper's property holdings in the county are modest, and affordable even if he has been 'only' bringing in $37,000 as a judge. 

[Sweater Cows!]

Judge cooper has had that property for a loooong time, at least almost 20 years that I can remember and how ever long before that before I knew out about it.so it wasn't purchased recently.

[masonco]

Aquaman

Judge Coopers wife is (was?) a full time professor and (I think) ran(runs?) a department over at West Shore college. I know she was pretty high up at the college anyway. I believe she made (makes?) more that what is posted here as Judge Cooper's income.

[XLFD]

Thanks for that tidbit, Masonco.  Hopefully, someone can explain why Judge Cooper's salary is so low, as I don't think he practices outside the county as Judge Wadel sometimes does.

[XLFD]

According to the Friday Ludington Daisy News, 79th District Judge Peter Wadel has at least three more years and probably nine more years on the bench, as the Judge loss will be due to death, retirement, refusing re-election, or getting above 70 years old before an election.  He may just outlast Judge Wickens, if he's dedicated to the job, which I think he is.  And that will be good for the county.  Also Hon. Judge Wadel lives out in Branch and can easily take more of his workload over into Lake County if he's the last man standing.