Public defenders accuse two Detroit judges of attempting to break their strike

Wayne County public defenders and their union, UAW Local 2325, say two judges effectively tried to break their strike by pursuing contempt proceedings against three attorneys who refused to cross the picket line. Judges at the Third Circuit Court and 36th District Court had ordered the defenders back to work without a contract in July; when they didn't return, the judges initiated contempt proceedings against Neighborhood Defender Service attorneys.

Judge Ronald Giles accused attorney Joe McGuire of contempt for missing a hearing, then dismissed the case. Judge Darnella Williams-Claybourne denied a motion to dismiss a similar case against attorneys Megan Gokey and Daniel Eichinger, delivered a 30-minute admonishment without citing specific case law, then dismissed the case herself.

The attorneys argued federal law and a 1959 Supreme Court precedent protect their right to strike, and noted they'd arranged case coverage and were locked out of their offices during the walkout regardless. Nearly 40 other judges who handled cases during the same strike did not pursue contempt against any public defenders.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.