In a stunning announcement Wednesday, the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission issued a public complainant detailing 10 counts of infractions against Taylor Judge Joseph Slaven of the 23rd District Court.

Slaven has been on the bench since Jan. 1, 2015.

The counts are:

• False statement regarding recorded conversations

• Use of judicial position to help a candidate

• Inappropriate demeanor and disrespect

• Disrespectful emails

• Disregard of the law with respect to wearing a rob

• Concealing face of Zoom

• Disrespectful behavior regarding security camera

• Interference with Zoom staff

• Knowing driving with expired and obliterated license plate

• False statements to the commission

The following is a brief synopsis of some of the individual counts.

False statements

Slaven had numerous conversations in 2021 and early 2022 with the new chief Judge Victoria Shackelford after she was appointed to the bench. When they met, the complaint said Slaven did not tell her that he was recording their conversation.

When she directly asked if she was being recorded, he told her no — knowing the statement was false, the complaint said.

Helping a candidate

According to the complaint, in 2022 Slaven used his judicial position on numerous occasions to promote Michael Tinney, a candidate for 23rd District Court judge.

During a Law Day celebration at the courthouse, Slaven displayed a vertical sign that spelled Tinney in an acrostic-style display.

The following year when Tinney was considering another run at the seat, during a livestreamed Zoom court session Slaven took the opportunity to talk about his friend, calling him a “really good guy” and thanking him for his outlook on the law and saying he looks forward to doing more community service with him and community activism.

On a separate occasion, Slaven is accused of using courthouse resources to print 160 copies of a document called, “Mike Tinney is a Man of the People” to assist his campaign.

Disrespect

Slaven posted on his Facebook page about a Law Day event in 2022 in which supporters of Shackelford attended. He addressed the event in part by posting, “they are simple minded buffoons!! BC, MG, DW, MF, RH, GT…..smh and shame on them.”

He allegedly said the people with those initials “Iie and twist things.”

The initials were those of all Shackelford’s supporters in attendance at Law Day.

On another occasion during a livestream Zoom hearing, Slaven discovered some show cause hearings had been added to his docket without his permission.

He then stated that the court administrator “thinks she can make my docket better than I can. Good luck with that. She can’t even do her ***damn job.”

On Nov. 20, 2023, during a livestream Zoom hearing, Slaven, referring to Chief Judge Shackelford, reportedly said: “I’m sorry that you can’t handle your docket. I’m sorry you don’t know the law. I’m sorry the court rules seem to be somewhat of a foreign language. The public needs to know that people who are in certain positions are not competent.”

Disrespectful on camera

In April 2024 new security cameras were placed throughout the courthouse. Shortly thereafter, on nine occasions, Slaven allegedly raised his middle finger to make an obscene gesture toward the camera as he walked by it or sometimes used his middle finger to ostentatiously push up his glasses as he walked by the camera.

In a January 16, 2024 Zoom hearing, Slaven said the following in reference to Shackelford during a live Zoom feed between hearings: “We’re going to have a bonfire and taking everything with her name on it and she’s —-ing voted out, gone…I will bring burn barrels.”

Wearing a rob

It is required that a judge wear a black robe when acting in an official capacity in the courtroom.

Slaven was reminded numerous times of the requirement, but continuously did otherwise.

On dates in 2022 that included April 27 and Sept. 12 and 13, Slaven wore a polo shirt with no visible robe during court proceedings on Zoom, the commission alleges.