Bible-quoting judge must stand trial for alleged improper dismissal of Court's Deputy Administrator
Julie Pucci had a long, successful history working for the Nineteenth District Court in Dearborn. Somewhere along the way, she and one of the District Judges became romantically involved, and although they did not marry, they shared a household. This did not violate the Court's anti-nepotism policy. Nevertheless, when Mark Somers was elected to the Court, he argued that Pucci's living arrangement should disqualify her from an administrative position with the Court. Somers also, apparently, found the unmarried living arrangement distasteful from a religious perspective. At any rate, Somers lobbied for Pucci's discharge and Pucci filed at least one complaint with State Court officials over Somers' repeated interjection of his religious beliefs into his actions on the bench. Somers was admonished for the latter behavior but apparently had the last word, when he became Chief Judge. He immediately terminated Pucci's employment.
Pucci files suit alleging wrongful termination and arguing that her firing was a violation of her right of free speech. The Sixth Circuit held that the Court, the City of Dearborn, and Somers were immune from suit in their official capacity, but that the suit against Somers could continue in his individual capacity. Perhaps he won't have the last laugh, after all.