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Christopher S. Easthope
Christopher S. Easthope was a judge for the 15th District Court in Ann Arbor, Michigan (Washtenaw County).[1] He was elected to a six-year term on November 4, 2008, and assumed office on January 1, 2009.[2] On November 4, 2014, Easthope was re-elected unopposed for another six-year term commencing on January 1, 2015.[3]
Easthope retired on December 31, 2015.[4][5] As of July 20, 2015, Easthope was prohibited from hearing cases due to a scandal involving text messages with a local attorney. (See story below)[6]
Education
Easthope received his undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University in 1990 and his J.D. degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1995.[7][8]
Career
- 2009-2015: District court judge, 15th District Court
- 2003-2008: Attorney/owner, Law Office of Chris Easthope, PLLC
- 2000-2008: Council member, 5th Ward, Ann Arbor City Council[8][9]
Awards and associations
- Member, Michigan Bar Association
- Member, Washtenaw County Bar Association
- Member, Michigan District Judges Association
- Member, American Judges Association [1]
Elections
2014
See also: Michigan judicial elections, 2014
Easthope ran for re-election to the 15th District Court.
General: He was unopposed in the general election on November 4, 2014.
[3]
Noteworthy events
Text message scandal
Following a Michigan Freedom of information Act request by The Ann Arbor News, text messages between Judge Easthope and local attorney Nader Nassif were released to public. Easthope was accused of violating the judicial code by talking about ongoing cases with an attorney without the other attorney present. The two discussed drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana together. The messages also indicated that Easthope helped Nassif's firm secure a $203,000 contract with the city of Ann Arbor. They were texting during the meeting where Easthope recommended the firm. After the contract was approved, Easthope sent a text reading, "U owe me," to Nassif.[10]
Easthope submitted his resignation from the court, effective December 31, 2015, before the texts had been published, initially citing family and personal reasons. Following the release of the messages, he issued a statement which said, "As a result of mistakes that I have made, it is now my great loss that I have tendered my resignation from the 15th District Court and am unable to continue in the work that I loved."[11] Hover here to read his full statement.
On July 20, Chief Judge Elizabeth Hines announced that Easthope had been barred from hearing all cases.[6]
| “ | The 15th District Court, along with the rest of the Ann Arbor community, is learning the content of text messages between Judge Easthope and Nader Nassif from local media. The texts are disturbing and have caused the community to bring into question the court's integrity. Effective immediately, all of Judge Easthope's cases, including both mental health and veterans treatment courts, will be handled by other judges. The public can be assured that the business of the 15th District Court will go on, administering justice with integrity, and treating each and every member of the public with dignity and respect.[12] | ” |
| —Chief Judge Elizabeth Hines[6] | ||
Easthope told the media in December that he had been on medical leave since August, "recovering from a surgery that had been scheduled almost a year ago."[13]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Christopher Easthope Michigan judge. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
- City of Ann Arbor, "15D District Court: Judiciary Biographies"
- City of Ann Arbor, "15th Judicial District Court Home"
- Michigan Courts, "Washtenaw County"
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 City of Ann Arbor, "15D District Court: Judiciary Biographies," accessed November 26, 2014
- ↑ MLive.com, "Chris Easthope sworn in as new Ann Arbor district court judge," December 31, 2008
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Michigan Secretary of State, "2014 Official Michigan Primary Candidate Listing," accessed July 9, 2014
- ↑ MLive, "Governor will appoint judge to fill resigning Christopher Easthope's seat," July 8, 2015
- ↑ MLive, "Ann Arbor Judge Christopher Easthope announces resignation," July 2, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 MLive.com, "Court: Judge Christopher Easthope won't hear more cases due to 'disturbing' texts," July 13, 2015
- ↑ Martindale.com, "Judge Profile: Christopher Sean Easthope," accessed November 26, 2014
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 LinkedIn.com, "Profile: Chris Easthope," accessed November 26, 2014
- ↑ LinkedIn.com, "Profile: Chris Easthope, Judge at City of Ann Arbor," accessed November 26, 2014
- ↑ CBS Detroit, "Ann Arbor Judge Prohibited From Hearing Cases Amid Scandal," July 14, 2015
- ↑ Mlive.com, "Judge Chris Easthope releases statement about 'deeply offensive' text messages," July 9, 2015
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Mlive, "Ann Arbor judge who resigned amid text scandal says he's on medical leave," December 20, 2015
Federal courts:
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan
State courts:
Michigan Supreme Court • Michigan Court of Appeals • Michigan Circuit Court • Michigan Court of Claims • Michigan District Courts • Michigan Municipal Courts • Michigan Probate Courts
State resources:
Courts in Michigan • Michigan judicial elections • Judicial selection in Michigan
