Last month the Michigan Supreme Court removed Jackson district judge Jim Justin from office (PDF) on the recommendation of the Judicial Tenure Commission (PDF). Often, that's the end of the story. Not in this case, however, which involved such allegations as ticket-fixing for family members and staff. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced today that he is bringing four counts of misconduct in public office against Justin. Because the charges are felonies, Schuette's action puts Justin's judicial pension in jeopardy:
A member or retirant who is convicted of or who enters a nolo contendere plea accepted by a court for a felony arising out of his or her service as a public employee is considered to have breached the public trust and may have his or her rights to an otherwise vested retirement benefit and all accumulated contributions standing to that person's credit in the retirement system forfeited as provided in this act. This act applies only to the retirement system of which the person was a member or retirant at the time the felony was committed and only to the retirement system established by the entity affected by the felony. MCL 38.2703
