Oakland Co. Judge Busted On The Job With Video

[bobandtorey]

NOVI, Mich. (WJBK) -- It's Monday morning, May 20, at the 52nd District Court in Novi.

The docket is full. Court starts at 8:34 sharp. All the defendants and all the attorneys are waiting, but his honor isn't there. By nine, there's still no judge in this Novi courtroom. In fact, the judge isn't even in Novi.

His shiny, white vehicle is still in front of his house miles away. At 9:08 a.m., he hasn't left for work yet.

All rise for the Honorable Dennis Powers, a District Court judge who makes $138,272 a year in taxpayer money.

Wolchek to Powers: You're never to court on time are you?

Powers to Wolchek: I'm where I'm supposed to be when I'm supposed to be whenever I'm supposed to be there.

It's 9:00 a.m. on Friday, May 17. The courthouse is open, and the judge's wheels are parked in front of his house.

Judge Powers does not leave his house until 11:55 a.m. He's already three and a half hours late, but at 12:15 p.m., he is chowing down and chewing the fat in a Waterford gas station that has a Subway store and Dunkin Donuts inside. 

At 12:55 p.m., the judge heads into McDonald's. He has quite an appetite for a guy who hasn't even been to work yet.    

At 1:05 p.m., Judge Powers goes to a credit union in Waterford. 

At 1:27 p.m., the judge is in Union Lake filling his tank.   

At 2:20 p.m., Judge Powers arrives for a long hard day at work, but not too long since the courthouse closes in two hours and ten minutes.   

If you think that was an easy day at work, wait until you find out what he does on Monday, May 13.

First let's talk about the courthouse calendar. There are three judges at Novi's 52-1 Court: Judge Bondy, Judge Powers and Judge MacKenzie. While it appears Judge Bondy had a week in March off, Judge Powers is listed as being at work, but attending a conference.

I found out Judge Powers wasn't at a conference. He was in Aruba on vacation, relaxing at the La Cabana Beach and Racquet Club.  The judge belongs to a vacation plan called Bluegreen Resorts.

He was booked at the Solara Surfside in Miami in January, the same week his calendar says he's at another conference.

In February, he was booked at the Casa Del Mar resort, the exact same week his calendar says he was at another conference.  

In late April and early May, we actually followed the judge during his conference week. We found him vacationing with his wife at the Mountainloft Resort in Tennessee.

It's another conference week, and Judge Powers is at another Bluegreen Resort living it up.

After taking a whole week off work, the judge has the nerve to show up an hour and 45 minutes late when he gets back on the job. That's no surprise because I watched him pull into the parking lot late all the time. Remember, court starts at 8:34 a.m.

Even though he always showed up late, he's always up for a nice break from the courthouse at the donut house. The clock is ticking, but the judge is kickin', kickin' back with a long john and a lady friend.

Judge Powers isn't a "hangin' judge," he's a "hangin' around judge."

We watched the judge hanging around for days and days and days, but nothing like this next day.

Monday, May 13th. It's 11:13 a.m. and the judge hasn't even left his house yet. His docket had 23 cases, all starting early in the morning.

At 11:32 a.m., the judge gets a car wash just a mile from the court.

At 11:36 a.m., fill 'er up. Gee, the judge isn't even at work yet, and get this, he's not going to work!

At noon, Judge Powers is at a swanky country club in Commerce Township. First he gets his grub on, and then he gets his game on.

Why waste a nice day in a stuffy old courthouse. Instead of swinging' his gavel, Judge Powers spends the day swinging his golf clubs. 

Exactly one week after the golf day, on May 20, I'm ready to bring some order to the court.

Wolchek to Powers: Hey, where were you this morning?

Powers to Wolchek: Whaddaya mean where was I?

Wolchek to Powers: Well, you had court at 8:30, and I had a camera in the courtroom request, and you didn't show up until almost ten o'clock.

Powers to Wolchek: I didn't show in the courtroom until ten o'clock, that's correct, sir.

Wolchek to Powers: I saw you pulling into the parking lot at about 9:57.

Powers to Wolchek: Well, I don't know what time it was, but it could have been, yes, sir.

Wolchek to Powers: Where were you?  How come you were late?

Powers to Wolchek: I had to run an errand. 

He didn't run any errand. He didn't leave his house until 9:30 a.m.

Wolchek to Powers: What time did you get to work on Friday?

Powers to Wolchek: Hmmm. Noon I think.

Wolchek to Powers: Naw, you got to work at 2:20. What was going on Friday that you didn't get to work until after two o'clock?

Powers to Wolchek: I had a meeting.

Wolchek to Powers: Who was the meeting with?

Powers to Wolchek: I'd prefer not to say.

Wolchek to Powers: What happened last Monday when you canceled your whole docket?

Powers to Wolchek: We had a golf outing.

Wolchek to Powers: You had a golf outing?

Powers to Wolchek: Yes, sir.

Wolchek to Powers: So you canceled your whole docket?

Powers to Wolchek: Yes, sir.

Wolchek to Powers: So you had a whole bunch of attorneys and defendants...

Powers to Wolchek: I canceled ahead of time. It was a chamber golf outing. That's correct. I participated in that, yes, sir.

Wolchek to Powers: But aren't you being paid by the county to be a judge?

Powers to Wolchek: Yes, sir.

Wolchek to Powers: So you think you put in a good week of work last week?

Powers to Wolchek: I do, sir.

Oh yeah, this guy was working like a dog.

Wolchek to Powers: Wouldn't it be an inconvenience for attorneys to have to reschedule everything because the judge is off golfing?

Powers to Wolchek: You know, you put off golfing is a little different than being in a community golf outing, and you'll find out that that's part of what being a judge is about.

What about those conferences days on his calendar?

Wolchek to Powers: Where were you?

Powers to Wolchek: I was on vacation.

Wolchek to Powers: You were on vacation. Why does it say conference then?

Powers to Wolchek: It's just the way it was worded on the docket.

That's funny.  You're the only judge who has his vacation days listed as conference. So how many actual vacation days has the judge taken this year? 

Powers to Wolchek: This year, I think I've taken, eight, nine, ten, something like that.

Wolchek to Powers: So you're going back to court now.

Powers to Wolchek: No, I'm going to go golfing right now.  I've got my clubs, and I'm heading off to the golf course.

Wolchek to Powers: Are you being sarcastic? I don't even know.

Powers to Wolchek: I'm being sarcastic.

Wolchek to Powers: Well, you were golfing last week weren't you?

Powers to Wolchek: I was golfing.

Wolchek to Powers: And you had a docket?

Powers to Wolchek: I had no docket. I canceled the docket to attend a chamber golf outing.

Wolchek to Powers: Well I'm going to go get the docket so I can see, and I'll talk to those attorneys and I'll see how they felt and the defendants how they felt about the fact that you canceled the docket and they took days off from work and they rescheduled things and you were out golfing and I'll see what they have to say.

I couldn't find out what those defendants and attorneys had to say because the court would only release a piece of paper, which stated that 23 cases had to be rescheduled the day Judge Powers decided to go golfing. There were no names and no case numbers.

I also asked the county and the court for the judge's official vacation records. Once again, it was a no-go.

Read more: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/22577588/wolchek-investigation-judge-powers#ixzz2WBv4O33I

[Bisharoo]

I saw the report yesterday and this guy is a pure clown, a disgrace to the robe.  And, he is making the court cover up his antics.  That is business as usual in Oakland County, my friends.  May we get some change around here soon!

Peace...

Edited June 14, 2013 by Bisharoo

[ilynnboy]

What a piece of work.

Just shows you what the System thinks of us peons.

Disgraceful.

[+Malamute]

Here is the problem:

 

Judge Powers was re-elected without opposition in the general election on November 2, 2010

[+washtenaut]

There is not enough oversight of the supposed good guys in Michigan - police, prosecutors, judges, and politicians.  All public servants are just humans and so are subject to the same temptations and mistakes as the rest of us.  Unfortunately our legal system gives the supposed good guys the benefit of the doubt in any question of truth.  Without the hidden video, Joe Citizen doesn't have a prayer of being believed.

 

The incorrect assumption that is made by lawmakers is that 'good guys' are always good.

[Chauncy Gardner]

Amazing, and people like this have the nerve to rag on cannabis users as "lazy, irresponsible stoners". What a hypocrite.

[Celliach]

Where are the voters in Oakland County?  This guy ran unopposed!

[Chauncy Gardner]

There is not enough oversight of the supposed good guys in Michigan - police, prosecutors, judges, and politicians.  All public servants are just humans and so are subject to the same temptations and mistakes as the rest of us.  Unfortunately our legal system gives the supposed good guys the benefit of the doubt in any question of truth.  Without the hidden video, the Joe citizen doesn't have a prayer of being believed.

 

The incorrect assumption that is made by lawmakers is that 'good guys' are always good.

 

 

This is why we need civilian oversight of our law enforcement system. Civilian oversight with the power to discipline. These people need to be reminded of what it is like to be a civilian operating under their system. They have us by the short hairs and they aren't afraid to rub it in our faces. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

[Celliach]

I always see people complaining about the government, but I rarely see those same people getting involved with politics, which is the way to change the government.  If you don't like what's happening then get involved and change it.

[Celliach]

This is why we need civilian oversight of our law enforcement system. Civilian oversight with the power to discipline. These people need to be reminded of what it is like to be a civilian operating under their system. They have us by the short hairs and they aren't afraid to rub it in our faces. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

 

We do have civilian oversight of our judges.  It's called an election.

[bobandtorey]

And with some new Law's on the books we can't even recall them any more as we where told last night on the MMMA radio show by Tim Beck we still can but it's very hard to do today

[motorcitymeds]

FUX all these pieces of SHIET..<<<<<!!! i wish NO harm or ill will to anyone but if any of these Fuxs get popped or thrown off the bench it will be PURE KARMA that lands them right where they need to be...at the mercy of the public for countless lives they destroyed for the greater good of socierty....riiight.  What a crock of shiet.  OAKLAND COUNTY reeks of PURE corruption and now the truth is coming out on all these pieces of crap, Bouchard, Cooper..they are next in the choppin blocks of the court of public opinion.

 

I had to listen to Mckenzie and his BS rant when I had him in court for a petty misdemeanor 17 years ago.  He can sux a fat Diiyack..!!!

Edited June 14, 2013 by motorcitymeds

[Celliach]

FUX all these pieces of SHIET..<<<<<!!! i wish NO harm or ill will to anyone but if any of these Fuxs get popped or thrown off the bench it will be PURE KARMA that lands them right where they need to be...at the mercy of the public for countless lives they destroyed for the greater good of socierty....riiight.  What a crock of shiet.  OAKLAND COUNTY reeks of PURE corruption and now the truth is coming out on all these pieces of crap, Bouchard, Cooper..they are next in the choppin blocks of the court of public opinion.

 

I had to listen to Mckenzie and his BS rant when I had him in court for a petty misdemeanor 17 years ago.  He can sux a fat Diiyack..!!!

 

Again, it was the public voting, or not voting in many cases, that put this guy into power.  Maybe this will point out to people how important local elections are.

[motorcitymeds]

Again, it was the public voting, or not voting in many cases, that put this guy into power.  Maybe this will point out to people how important local elections are.

I agree.  This is just one reason why I moved to wayne.  To get away from  these Arrogant, Pompous, deceiving, lying, criminals..!!!! 

[bobandtorey]

Again, it was the public voting, or not voting in many cases, that put this guy into power.  Maybe this will point out to people how important local elections are.

i read some Lawyers post in the comments and they say he is a good Judge one of the good guys and i know the Lawyer that make those  statments 

the point is maybe we should Waite until we here from him or like you say all of the story maybe true am not so sure either way

 

i agree people just don't vote i try to tell people how i go about Voting and how easy it is to go down to their city Hall and tell them you wont be home that day to Vote and then they can stay home and take their time filling it out and drop it in the mail Easy Easy

[Chauncy Gardner]

We do have civilian oversight of our judges.  It's called an election.

 

 

Yeah, but do we have oversight of the police? It seems like they get away with some pretty atrocious behavior and never have to answer for it.

[pic book]

i read some Lawyers post in the comments and they say he is a good Judge one of the good guys and i know the Lawyer that make those  statments 

the point is maybe we should Waite until we here from him or like you say all of the story maybe true am not so sure either way

 

i agree people just don't vote i try to tell people how i go about Voting and how easy it is to go down to their city Hall and tell them you wont be home that day to Vote and then they can stay home and take their time filling it out and drop it in the mail Easy Easy

and necessary to voting informed, when i did absentee this last election I spent tok my balot and spent 3 days on the web researching ballot proposals and names of caandidates, most i had no idea about.

[ozzrokk]

Someone running unopposed really has nothing to do with the voters....... People voting for the name they saw on a sign on there way to the poll ( those that chose to go anyway) have a little more to do with it. A little research wouldnt hurt.....

 

Beside that just cause someone ran unopposed and won an election or even beat someone out for that matter does not give them the right to be this way (that is of course if the story is even true)

Edited June 15, 2013 by ozzrokk

[Kingdiamond]

I wonder what this judge would do to a defense attorney or a defendant if they showed up late in his courtroom?

[ozzrokk]

I wonder what this judge would do to a defense attorney or a defendant if they showed up late in his courtroom?

 

 

Or blew him off to go " golfing "

 

Edited to add....... Think if a defendant did that.........

Edited June 15, 2013 by ozzrokk

[bobandtorey]

  Courts they don't even send you a notice in the mail as to when to be their over 4+ years with our case and we only received one notice 

 

and that was for the first hearing most of the times we wouldn't know when or what time to be their until the night before i think the Courts do that because they don't want you to have any support 

 

i have been to many court case's and sometimes after getting up at 4AM to be their at 8:30am no one would be their and after a few times of that

 

i would get the persons phone # so that i or they could call me if anything did change like date and or times

[GregS]

Doesn't the legislature have the authority to discipline this guy? Given this piece in the press, I expect somebody in a position of authority is already on top of it.

[GregS]

At least the guy knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.