By John Raffel
Correspondent
ALLEGAN – Allegan County Commission chairman James Storey points out the Allegan circuit should have a third judge position.
“The Legislature recently passed and sent to the Governor a bill to add new circuit judge positions in Wayne (Detroit), Muskegon and Ottawa counties and a new probate position in Kent County,”Storey wrote in his weekly newsletter. “As the bill was moving through the House and Senate, Allegan’s circuit
court judges, Roberts Kengis and Marge Bakker, were advised by the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) of its recommendation, based on caseload statistics, that the Allegan circuit qualified for a third judge position. “The recommendation was timely as Chief Judge Kengis advises the number of potential jury trials awaiting scheduling is over one hundred. Jury trials routinely require two to three days to decide amidst other docketed cases such as divorces, child custody matters and civil actions that go before the county’s two circuit court judges. One recent murder trial before Judge Kengis required two weeks.”
Storey said the question of “why not Allegan” arose as the bill was being considered.
“County legislators requested recommendations from the judges, prosecuting attorney, and the Board of Commissioners,” he said. “The board adopted a resolution supporting the addition of a third circuit court judge. However, the timing of the SCAO recommendation and the legislators’ request for support documents was late in the legislative process to add Allegan to the other counties’ additional judges bill.
As of February 6, the Governor has not acted on the bill. Meanwhile, efforts continue to create the third circuit judge position that the impact of Covid shutdowns and the growth of the county indicates is needed.”