Allegan County Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker Grants Predator Phone Access While Denying Innocent Parents Custody

In early August 2025, Clutch Justice reviewed a ruling by Allegan County Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker that would prove difficult to square with the court’s stated mission of protecting children.

A man under active CPS investigation for alleged possession and creation of child abusive material was granted supervised phone access to the children depicted in those images, before the investigation concluded and before any criminal charges were filed. He was subsequently arraigned July 31, 2025 on eight felony counts. All charges are allegations; the case has not been adjudicated.

The decision was made by Bakker, the same judge whose courtroom has, in documented separate cases, stripped innocent parents of parenting time for months on the basis of unverified CPS complaints.

Two Standards of Justice

In multiple cases reviewed by Clutch Justice, Bakker denied all parental contact for months based on unverified CPS complaints, continued prosecution of matters reversed on appeal, issued confidentiality restrictions against parents who spoke out, and fast-tracked custody decisions while bypassing key due process requirements.

A Conflict of Interest

Bakker is a documented past collaborator with Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center, an Allegan-based nonprofit that regularly refers cases to CPS and law enforcement. She has participated in advisory panels and fundraising events for the organization. These institutional ties are not disclosed in courtroom proceedings to the families whose cases enter through the same referral network.

Bakker is also the founder of Sylvia’s Place, an organization that has drawn criticism from individuals who allege the program left them in worse circumstances than when they sought help.

Why This Matters

When a court grants contact between children and a man facing arraignment on eight felony counts involving alleged child abusive material, while simultaneously denying innocent parents the right to send their children a birthday card, something has broken down. That breakdown is not a clerical error. It is a pattern.

The harm runs in two directions. Granting access to someone with serious pending charges poses a direct risk. Denying that same access to parents with no substantiated findings against them destroys what remains of public confidence in a family court system that claims to center child welfare.

What You Can Do

Allegan County residents can file complaints about judicial conduct with the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission. Court watching, public comment, and electoral participation remain the primary accountability tools available for residents who want to see these patterns addressed.