Under Fire from Judicial Tenure Commission, Novi Judge Retiring Early

Embattled Novi 52-1 District Court Judge Dennis Powers is hanging up his robe.

Under fire from the Judicial Tenure Commission, which was mounting a campaign to remove Powers after 16 years on the bench, the 72-year-old jurist said he would resign effective Sept. 1, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Among the criticisms of Powers was that he claimed $4,000 in mileage reimbursement – money he wasn’t entitled to and that he has since repaid with the explanation that he misunderstood the county’s mileage policy. Some of the mileage was to attend real estate classes, which he said made him a better judge when decided property disputes.

His critics said he was frequently late getting to work and that he spent too much time on the golf course – time Powers justified as important court outreach.

It’s unclear how his resignation will affect the complaints against him, The Detroit News reports. His disciplinary hearing was to have begun next month.

He apparently believed that when he repaid the money, paid to Powers over several years and under different interpretations of the mileage policy, the complaint against him would be resolved, The Detroit News said.

Powers, who was paid $138,227 a year, resigns with two years left in his term. He would have been ineligible to seek re-election in 2016 because of his age.

“All I wanted to do is serve out my term,” Powers told the Free Press.

Gov. Rick Snyder will name a replacement to fill the vacancy.