Judge Joseph Slaven Flipped Off Cameras—The Cameras Saved Everyone a lot of Headache.

When Taylor District Court Judge Joseph Slaven decided to repeatedly flip off a courthouse camera (nine times, to be exact) it wasn’t just a bad look. It was ultimately a gift. Not for him, of course. But for the rest of us watching Michigan’s judicial circus spin on repeat.

Thanks to those very cameras, there’s little to no “he said, she said.” There’s no endless taxpayer-funded investigation trying to piece together whether misconduct actually occurred.

There’s video; clear, objective, undeniable.

And in the end, that video provided a faster resignation, less waste, and a little more trust in a system that too often hides behind closed doors. So why aren’t we embracing it throughout Michigan?

When Accountability Meets the Record Button

Slaven’s antics (publicly berating colleagues, lying to the Judicial Tenure Commission, concealing his face during hearings, and for years, driving with expired plates) sound like something out of a crappy courtroom reality show. But this time, there was a reality show element: cameras were rolling.

It made it absolutely impossible for Judge Slaven to claim things didn’t happen the way others claimed. And as a result, the Judicial Tenure Commission’s investigation didn’t drag out for years. And now he’s actually leaving the bench early. Why? Because the misconduct wasn’t just whispered about, it was well-documented.

As Professor Samantha K. Hallman aptly noted on LinkedIn, “much of this misconduct was caught on video, which worked to bring swift resolution to this matter, thereby saving public dollars that would otherwise have been spent in a he-said-she-said battle with the JTC.”

Translation: video doesn’t just expose bad behavior; it actually protects the integrity of the process itself. A little bit of faith restored in the JTC’s process, even.

The Bigger Picture: Cameras Don’t Corrupt Justice, They Clarify It

For years, judges and court administrators have resisted broader courtroom transparency. People are allergic to accountability, apparently. They claim recordings might “disrupt decorum” or “undermine public trust.” But that argument collapses the second a judge decides to moon the lens—figuratively or otherwise.

The truth? Transparency doesn’t erode trust; secrecy does.

Recordings keep everyone honest. From defendants to clerks to the people wearing the robe. They prevent fabricated claims, speed up investigations, and ensure that judicial misconduct isn’t hidden behind institutional silence.

If cameras can help expose one judge’s middle finger to the rule of law, imagine how many unseen abuses they could prevent.

Michigan Needs a Transparency Standard, Not a Patchwork

The Slaven saga isn’t just a local embarrassment; it’s a case study in why Michigan needs uniform video transparency across every courthouse.

If one judge’s misconduct can be caught nine times in a single building, how much goes unrecorded elsewhere? How many taxpayer-funded “investigations” could end with the click of a playback button?

It’s time for the Judicial Tenure Commission, the State Court Administrative Office, and the legislature to set a baseline:

Mandatory video recording in all courtrooms. Permanent access logs for footage. Public access to recordings of public proceedings.

Cameras don’t just watch. They deter, document, and deliver justice faster.

Pulling it Together

Judge Slaven’s resignation isn’t just a fall from grace; it’s a case for reform. Every courtroom camera is a silent witness, one that doesn’t lie, doesn’t take sides, and doesn’t forget.

If Michigan wants to rebuild public faith in its judiciary, it shouldn’t just record misconduct; it should record everything.

After all, when judges start flipping off the cameras, maybe that’s the clearest sign we need more of them.