Kahlilia Davis, a former judge who was suspended for six years by the Michigan Supreme Court for rampant ethical violations last year, is brazenly running to regain a seat on the 36th District Court in Detroit.
Davis is among six candidates vying for two seats on the 36th District Court. The primary election is set for Aug. 6.
A spokesperson for the Michigan Department of State tells Metro Times that the Bureau of Elections (BOE) will soon determine whether Davis is eligible to run.
“In this case, BOE will need to determine if this flier’s judicial suspension legally prevents her from appearing on the ballot as a candidate for District Court Judge and we will work with the Attorney General’s office to ensure we comply with the law,” spokesperson Angela Benander said in a written statement.
A careful reading of the suspension does not mention whether Davis can run, but it does say she cannot serve as a judge. So it’s possible that she can legally run but would not be able to serve if she wins.
The BOE has until June 7 to decide.
In June 2023, the Michigan Supreme Court suspended Davis for six years for a pattern of “pervasive” misconduct that was “beyond the pale for a member of our judiciary.”
In November 2016, Davis was elected to serve a six-year term as a judge in 36th District Court. Her term got off to a sloppy start after she failed to show up during the first two months of her term.
She often cited ominous Bible verses, arrived to work late, disappeared during the day, or didn’t show up at all, according to The Detroit Free Press.
During a parking dispute at LA Fitness in Detroit in September 2019, Davis allegedly told the owner of a car legally parked in a handicap space, “You can eat my pussy, you crazy bitch. You don’t know who you fucking with. You must have me twisted.”
The Michigan Supreme Court accused Davis of intentionally disconnecting courtroom monitoring equipment, missing weeks of court, abusing contempt powers, dismissing cases because of personal beefs, and unlawfully jailing a process server.
The Supreme Court suspended Davis in June 2020.
Then in September 2022, the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission determined Davis was “unfit” for the bench, saying her “egregious” acts of misconduct made her “incorrigible and incapable of conforming her behavior to the standards required of a judge.” The commission recommended a six-year ban.
The Michigan Supreme Court agreed to the ban, saying Davis “besmirched the judiciary’s reputation and prejudiced the administration of justice.”
“Misconduct is not viewed in a vacuum,” the justices wrote in the order. “The nature and pervasiveness of respondent's misconduct requires the highest condemnation and harshest sanction. Given respondent is no longer on the bench, we hold that a six-year conditional suspension without pay is an appropriate sanction, with the suspension barring respondent from serving in a judicial office during that period.”
Davis’s term expired in January 2023, but she didn’t serve a vast majority of her time on the bench.
When she tried running for reelection in 2022, the Michigan Secretary of State removed her from the ballot for lying on her affidavit of identity.
Metro Times couldn’t reach Davis for comment.
