Dear Commissioners:
In about 2003, the Livingston County Board of Commissioners hatched an ill-conceived plan to cripple the operations of its court system by cutting $200,000 from the Courts budget.
That of course resulted in litigation between the court and the commission. Not only did the commission lose, but it was required to put the money and more back into the court’s budget and was also required to pay thousands of taxpayers’ dollars in lawyers’ fees.
It appears it is unable to lick its wounds, accept its loss, and get on with the true business of the commission. The judge bashing that has been coming out of the commission lately is unprofessional and cowardly, since judges cannot become involved in defending themselves.
In case you never learned or forgot;
“Good name in man and woman, dear my Lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls.
Who steals my purse steals trash: tis something, nothing
Twas mine, tis his, and has been slave to thousands:
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed
— Shakespeare —
Commissioner Mel Paunovich should be commended for his wise words at the end of the county board meeting on Aug. 11, when he publicly reminded everyone that the commission does not have jurisdiction over the judges, and if someone has a grievance against a decision of a judge, they can appeal to one or more appellate courts and otherwise bring alleged ethical slips to the attention of the Judicial Tenure Commission.
And I don’t need to remind you that when normal corrective avenues are not functioning properly, one can always file a petition to empanel a citizen’s Grand Jury to investigate.
The commission does not have jurisdiction to decide complaints about judges and should put a stop the use of its time, talent, internet broadcasting, and resources at County Commission meetings — paid with taxpayer’s dollars — for political purposes or to air personal grievances.
Cordially,
Daniel A. Burress
Livingston County Circuit Judge (Retired)
