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A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
3
August 2, 2012
I
NKSTER
- W
AYNE
- W
ESTLAND
Former 22nd District Court
administrator and magistrate
Pamela Anderson has filed a sec-
ond lawsuit alleging discrimina-
tion by suspended Chief Judge
Sylvia James, the court and the
City of Inkster.
Anderson claims that she was
fired for participating in amiscon-
duct hearing against James,her
former supervisor at the court.
She said in her suit that her testi-
mony and participation in themis-
conduct hearings against James
resulted in discrimination against
her, and that she is unable to find
work since being fired from the
court by Judge Richard Hammer
Jr. onMarch 9.
Anderson filed an earlier suit
naming Hammer, the chief judge
of both the 21st District Court in
Garden City and the Inkster court,
and current Inkster Court
Administrator Sally Huskins, who
replaced Anderson. In that suit,
Anderson claims she was fired
without just cause and is seeking
lost wages anddamages.
In the latest lawsuit, Anderson
alleges that James was unhappy
with Anderson's participation and
testimony in the hearings before
the Michigan Judicial Tenure
Commission regarding allegations
that James misused the court
Community Service Fund. James
was found guilty by a special mas-
ter appointed to hear the testimo-
ny and is awaiting sentencing in
the matter by the Michigan State
Supreme Court. She has not been
charged with any criminal wrong-
doing and remains on paid leave
from the $138,272 per year job as
ordered by the Supreme Court
while thematter continues.
The Michigan Judicial Tenure
Commission has requested that
James, who has been on the bench
in Inkster since 1988, be removed
from the court without pay for the
remainder of her term, which
ends in December and be prohib-
ited fromserving as a judge for six
years. The commission also wants
her to pay more than $81,000 in
restitution.
Anderson claims in the lawsuit
that James made “baseless accu-
sations” about her during the
hearings. A letter sent recently to
Inkster residents which was
allegedly drafted by James accus-
es Anderson of shredding docu-
ments and hampering James'
defense against the allegations.
The letter was part of James'
ongoing bid for re-election to the
bench at the 22nd District Court.
As she has not yet been officially
sentenced for any wrongdoing,
she can legally continue her cam-
paign.
Anderson claims in her suit
that James sent the same letter to
select judges in an effort to “poi-
son any future job opportunities”
shemight have.
In this lawsuit Anderson is also
seeking lost wages and damages
due to her inability to findwork.
Two Detroit men have been
charged with theft and evidence
tampering in the ongoing investiga-
tion of the deaths of two Westland
teens last week.
After waiting nearly a week, the
families of Jourdan Bobbish, 17 and
his best friend, Jacob Kudla, 18,
were notified that bodies discovered
in a field near Coleman A. Young
International Airport were those of
the missing men. The identities of
the pair were confirmed by dental
records. The cause of death was
ruled as gunshot wounds. Kudla
died of multiple gunshot wounds
and Bobbish had been shot once in
the head, according to coroner's
reports.
The pair were reported missing
since the Sunday before when they
drove a 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier,
owned by Kudla's father, to visit an
uncle inDetroit.
When they did not return, their
families reported themmissing.
The vehicle was discovered in
the 8500 block of Beechwood, near
Joy Road and I-96 with the sound
system missing in the early hours
last Tuesday. Detroit police arrested
Casey Jason Green, 39, and Larry
Anderson, 40, at the scene of the dis-
covered vehicle. Prosecutor Michael
Harrison said that when arrested
Anderson and Green were removing
items from the vehicle and using
bleach to clean both the inside and
outside of the car.
Investigators said that Green and
Anderson are not suspects in the
deaths of Bobbish and Kudla at this
time.
Green and Anderson were
arraigned last Saturday in 36th
District Court before magistrate
Renee McDuffee. They were
charged with larceny froma vehicle,
obstruction of justice and evidence
tampering. Bond for the pair was set
at $250,000 each by McDuffee who
refused their defense attorney's
request for a lower bond. If convict-
ed on all charges they each face a
maximumof 14 years inprison.
Assistant Wayne County
Prosecutor Maria Miller said that
Detroit police are still actively inves-
tigating the deaths of the two
Westland teens.
Families in Wayne and Westland
who may find the fees for recre-
ational programs a little steep have
a friend in Nathan Adams, the
director of the Wayne Parks and
RecreationDepartment.
Adams has taken advantage of a
Program Assistance Fund through
the Parks and Recreation
Foundation to help offset some of
the costs of programs for children
and families who are not able to
afford indoor and outdoor recre-
ational activities.
“There are families who simply
cannot afford some of our programs
and this really helps. With this pro-
gram we can offer discounts based
on income or a subsidy through the
foundation,” Adams said.
The funding actually comes
through the foundation and the
recreation center bills the entire
amount for the service or program.
The family pays a nominal percent-
age, or nothing in some cases, and
the foundation pays the balance of
the cost to the recreation depart-
ment on their behalf.
“It's a really good program and
we have such great sponsors like
Jack Demmer Ford, Wayne
Westland Credit Union and others
who work with the foundation.
They meet quarterly and they
decided that they want to help with
program fees for families,” Adams
said.
More information is available at
(734) 721-7400.
James was found guilty by a special master
appointed to hear the testimony and is awaiting
sentencing in the matter by the
Michigan State Supreme Court.
”
Former administrator files second court suit
Investigation continues in death of 2 local teens
Wayne Recreation Foundation offers program fee aid