Judicial Tenure Commission Hearing Brennan's Objections To Its Misconduct Report
March 4, 2019
NOTE: This report has been updated to indicate the hearing is in Detroit, not Lansing.
The Judicial Tenure Commission will hear objections this morning on its misconduct report of a Livingston County judge who is also facing criminal charges.
53rd District Court Judge Theresa Brennan is accused of many ethics violations in how she ran her office as well as for a relationship with a state police detective during a murder trial. Brennan previously filed an objection to the findings of the JTC process, calling them, “blatantly sexist” and that Judge William Giovan, who served as a special master over the hearing, “mischaracterized” and “exaggerated” testimony and other evidence.
A hearing is being held this morning in Detroit for the commission to hear Brennan objections and her request that they reject the Master’s report, direct that a new formal hearing be held, and ask the Supreme Court to appoint a new master to preside over it. Brennan’s filing requests that in the absence of doing that, the commission find that the record does not support any finding of any misconduct on her part. Brennan was officially suspended last week by the Michigan Supreme Court, although it allowed her to retain her salary and benefits.
She’s also accused of perjury and destroying evidence in her divorce case and is due back in 67th District Court in Genesee County March 21st for a hearing on the three felony counts filed against her in December by the Michigan Attorney General’s Office. (JK)