34th District Court Magistrate Lisa Martin laid off for budget issue

On Feb. 20 the Independent published information that the visiting judge at 34th District Court to fill in for Judge David Parrott would be without further expense.
On March 4, 34th District Court Chief Judge Brian A. Oakley said that information obviously came from the state because many courts have visiting judges built into their regular budgets without further expense, but that isn’t the case for 34th District Court.
He said the 34th District Court hired retired District Court Judge Terrence Bronson of Monroe to handle Judge Parrott’s felony dockets and probable cause conferences every three weeks and to come in every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, as needed.
He said the state of Michigan requires the 34th District Court to pay Judge Bronson $500 a day, without setting how long a “day” is.
Judge Oakley said he, Judge Tina Brooks Green, and Judge Bronson will be doing the probable cause conferences in the afternoons, that had been done by attorney Magistrate Lisa Martin since she was hired in May 2018.
Magistrate Martin was laid off, he said, because of budget considerations.
Judge Oakley said former court administrator and non-attorney magistrate Al Hindman is back from his retirement at a set price.
In a Feb. 12 letter to Judge Oakley, Judge Parrott submitted his plan to step back from the bench temporarily and estimated he would be able to return within 45 to 60 days. He continues to receive his salary.
Judge Parrott, who is up for reelection this fall, is fighting two misdemeanor charges: a Dec. 25, 2018 drunk-driving arrest in Manistee County that currently is awaiting word from the Michigan Court of Appeals, and a domestic violence charge in Van Buren Township that is wending its way through the 35th District Court in Plymouth because keeping it at the 34th District Court would be a conflict of interest.
Former Magistrate Martin and her husband, Van Buren Township Trustee Kevin Martin, have lived in VBT for 12 years. She unsuccessfully ran for 34th District Court judge in 2014.
Martin earned her undergraduate degree at Harvard University and her law degree from the University of Michigan and has been practicing law for 20 years, mainly in district courts.
Those circulating petitions, so far, to run for the six-year 34th District Court Judge position are attorneys Alexandria Taylor, Lisa Martin, and Robert Coutts. Parrott filed for reelection last fall.