According to the Detroit Free Press, an Oakland County Judge’s history of misconduct is catching up with her.
Effective May 27, 2025, the administrative order signed by 52nd District Chief Judge Travis Reeds, bans 52-4 District Judge Kirsten Nielson Hartig from hearing felony cases. Leaving her to hear only civil, landlord/tenant, and small claims cases.
The Situation as it Stands
It appears to be a compounding issue, stemming from a history of misconduct complaints and political infighting.
Hartig apparently clashes with Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, with McDonald’s office claiming,
[Hartig] has a long-standing practice of seeking to impose her own personal view of what the law should be via the criminal cases before her. She has been reversed in every one of the cases the prosecutor has appealed since the judge took the bench in 2011. No judge in Oakland County has a comparable track record.Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office
Hartig also has a history of bullying employees and the public alike, another nasty habit shared by multiple judges in Oakland County. Why she’s being singled out, is worth examining.
No formal word on whether she’s being investigated by the Judicial Tenure Commission, but those decisions can take years to get to.
This is quite an interesting statement coming from Karen, who has a history of bending the law to her will and seeking publicity, but a concerning statement nonetheless.
It’s even more interesting considering I know of multiple judges hands down guilty of the same behavior here in West Michigan.
So why Hartig? And why now?
Consider the fact that meanwhile, Judge Reeds continues to neglect court transparency efforts surrounding judicial misconduct and availability of video recordings, which would enable voters to make more informed decisions at the polls.
In a Detroit News Article, Oakland County spokesperson Bill Mullan could not offer additional insight, stating, “The order was issued to ensure fairness in the courtroom. We refer any future questions to the Judicial Tenure Commission.”
This statement thinly veils a forthcoming Judicial Tenure Commission investigation. Yet, Hartig’s situation varies greatly from what’s happening with Judge Bradley Knoll in Ottawa County, where he is on probation for a domestic violence charge and still overseeing felony cases.
