Joseph Slaven Removed

Taylor District Court Judge Joseph Slaven publicly berated his own chief judge, flipped off a courthouse security camera on nine separate occasions, and lied about secretly recording that same chief judge — according to a formal public complaint filed by the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission. The complaint also detailed a pattern of unprofessional conduct on the bench: sending disrespectful emails, refusing to wear his judicial robe during proceedings, concealing his face during Zoom hearings, and interfering with virtual courtroom staff. Slaven's own response to the Commission claimed some of his conduct — including the recording — was meant to expose his chief judge and court administrator for supposedly spying on him. He resigned on November 4, 2025, the day before his public misconduct hearings were scheduled to begin. Slaven then failed to appear at his rescheduled hearing, and the official overseeing the case accepted the Commission's allegations against him as true by default.