After years of passing judgement on others, a Jackson County judge has landed in a precarious position: He’s being accused of sexually harassing women, showing up drunk at the courthouse and using his clout as a jurist to influence cases involving himself and his family, according to a new complaint filed with the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission.That’s the organization that investigates allegations of wrongdoing by judges, and decides how to punish those who cross ethical or professional lines.
In this case, the commission on Thursday, Sept. 11 disclosed numerous allegations of wrongdoing against Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Thomas D. Wilson, who has practiced law for more than three decades. His behavior while serving on the bench for 18 years is what’s being scrutinized, including getting lawyers to represent him and his children for free in various legal matters.
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As of late Thursday afternoon, Wilson nor his staff returned calls for comment, though his lawyer defended his reputation in a statement to the Free Press.
“Judge Wilson is a respsected and trusted jurist in Jackson County,” prominent attorney Thomas Cranmer said in the statement. “It is not approperate to try this case in the media, but we look forward to clearing his name as we move forward with the process.”
Wilson has 14 days to file a response to the complaint, though he can ask for an extentsion.
The allegations against him were detailed in a 23-page complaint, and include the following:
Judge Wilson abused alcohol for years, and admitted under oath on Jan. 22 “that he would, at times, leave the courthouse, consume alcohol at home, and return to the courthouse.”
Judge Wilson appeared to be under the influence of alcohol in numerous public places, including a funeral home parking lot, a courthouse elevator, a judges’ meeting and a county election coordinator’s office, where on Election Day in 2016 he stated he had been “at the bar next door,” and invited people in the election office to take a shot of Fireball whiskey with him.
In May 2019, the Judicial Tenure Commission asked Judge Wilson to get help, specifically that he obtain an alcohol assessment by the State Bar of Michigan Lawyers and Judges Assistance Program. But he did not do so.
Judge Wilson sexually harassed several females he worked with between 2016 and 2018, including: describing his sexual activities to a female judge on several occasions, including telling her “that his sexual partner remarked that no one had made her have as many orgasms as he had.”
During a meeting with a different female judge in his chambers, he told her that he once had to have his penis checked out at the health department due to frequent sexual activity.
In 2016, he told a female judge that he knew she was pregnant because “her boobs were bigger.” That same year, he told a female judge that he had “been wanting to (expletive)” [her] for a long time.”
In 2018, he yelled to a prosecutor in a parking lot “nice legs” with a laugh. That same year, he told the same prosecutor that she looked like she was losing weight, and that she looked like she “used to.”
The judge had relationships with about seven local attorneys — he was a landlord to some of them — though he never disclosed those ties when those lawyers appeared before him in court on various cases. Some were his tenants. One was his divorce attorney.
While these are allegations, the JTC has already investigated them, and determined that there is enough evidence that warrants filing a formal complaint.
Judge Wilson now has to respond to the complaint. After that, the JTC will determine if any discipline is warranted.
Additionally, the complaint also alleges that Judge Wilson “improperly injected himself” into cases, and once used his clout to help a defendant in a domestic violence case avoid getting arrested. The defendant in that case had violated a no-contact order. For reasons unclear, Judge Wilson called 911 without telling either the defense or the prosecution, and told the 911 operator that he had instructed the defendant to go to the prohibited location at issue to pick up his medication, and that there was no need to arrest him, and that he had the situation “all taken care of.”
Judge Wilson also is accused of trying to get a judge to sign off on a forged document that made it look like he owed no child support following his divorce, when he really owed a balance of $2,030. The judge did not sign off on the order.
He also allegedly used his clout as a judge to try and get a relative’s “minor in possession” charges dropped — or at least heard by a judge in the same county he worked in. When his efforts failed, he allegedly retaliated against people who would not do as he wished, telling them he would remember this.
Judge Wilson also is accused of dragging his feet with personal protection orders, and allegedly failed on at least three ocassions to timely decide PPOs that were assigned to him.
Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Judge Thomas Wilson accused of sexual harassment, coming to work drunk