TENURE COMMISSION SLAPS JUDGE WITH MORE CHARGES

A Pontiac district judge accused of judicial misconduct received more bad
news from the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission on Wednesday.

The agency added two more charges to its misconduct complaint against 50th
District Judge Christopher Brown. The commission said he violated the rights
of a Southfield man in a marijuana possession case in January and presided
over several landlord-tenant disputes involving his bailiff, Avery Hatchett,
who owns rental property in Pontiac.

Brown "has demonstrated a persistent and intentional disregard of his
ethical obligations despite these prior admonitions," the commission said in
its complaint, disclosing for the first time that it has warned Brown four
times from 1986 to 1996 about his behavior.

The judge's lawyer, Cyril Hall of Pontiac, said Brown did nothing wrong and
accused the commission of "a witch-hunt."

Hatchett is the nephew of Brown's longtime friend, business associate and
former partner, attorney Elbert Hatchett of Pontiac.

The commission said Brown should have disqualified himself from Avery
Hatchett's cases.

Hall denied that Brown, 59, a judge since 1973, had mistreated the marijuana
suspect or his mother or that he had done anything wrong in handling
landlord-tenant cases filed by his bailiff.

Hall said Brown would have disqualified himself from Hatchett's
landlord-tenant cases had the tenants challenged Hatchett.

The commission, which investigates and prosecutes judicial misconduct, had
accused Brown in March of mishandling a small claim filed by an Independence
Township woman who was involved in an automobile accident with Brown in 1996
in Pontiac. It amended the complaint in May.

It claimed he lied to police to have the woman ticketed and steered her
claim to a judge favorable to him.

The latest case involved Chad Armstrong, 25, of Southfield, who was ticketed
for possession of a marijuana cigarette outside a party store.

The commission said Brown demanded that Armstrong plead guilty or not guilty
without informing him of his rights. When Armstrong pleaded guilty, Brown
gave him the option of paying $750 or spending 90 days in jail without
inquiring about the circumstances of the arrest, Armstrong's background or
his ability to pay.

When Armstrong's mother, Kay, offered to pay his fine, the commission said,
Brown screamed: "No.... You sit down and shut up or I will lock you up in
jail and cite you for contempt of court."

David Ashenfelter can be reached at 1-313-223-4490.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett