Kahlilia Davis Suspended

The Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission found Davis "incorrigible and incapable" of reforming her conduct and unanimously recommended her removal, documenting what it called "multiple and distinct acts of pervasive on-the-bench misconduct." Among the findings: Davis abused her contempt power in at least two separate cases — in one, unlawfully jailing a process server based on a civil contempt finding, without conducting a proper contempt hearing first, and forcing people to pay illegal punitive sanctions in civil matters. Because she personally distrusted a particular process server, she also pretextually dismissed multiple cases that relied on his service, misapplying the law to reach the outcome she wanted rather than what the law actually required.

The Commission's amended complaint also found Davis failed to conduct required evidentiary hearings while making premature judgments, and obstructed court administration. Separately, Davis intentionally disconnected the recording equipment in her own courtroom and instead recorded proceedings on her personal cell phone — subverting the official record of her own court.

The Michigan Supreme Court found the "nature and pervasiveness" of Davis's misconduct required "the highest condemnation and harshest sanction," imposing a six-year conditional suspension without pay rather than the outright removal the Commission had recommended — a sanction that only takes effect if Davis returns to a judicial seat during that period, since she was not sitting as a judge at the time of the order.

Rather than accept that outcome, Davis has repeatedly tried to run for judicial office again during the suspension. She was barred from the 2026 primary ballot in April 2026 after two people sued to keep her off it; she then sued in the Court of Claims, arguing the decision relied on an erroneous 2024 determination, and won in June 2026 — putting her back on the November 2026 ballot for one of six open judicial seats, despite the fact that she cannot actually take the bench until 2029 even if elected.