How Court Watchers Can Spot Cognitive Impairment in Judges and Lawyers
Court watchers are, simply put, the justice system’s early warning system. They are in the room when things start to…
Rita Williams
Rita Williams is a Michigan-based judicial oversight analyst and founder of Clutch Justice, an investigative platform focused on court system accountability, sentencing integrity, and SCAO policy. Her work examines how courts, policies, and administrative systems operate in practice, with a focus on where process breaks down and harm is created. Drawing on lived experience and systems-level analysis, she writes to make legal structures more readable, expose institutional gaps, and advocate for reforms grounded in both evidence and human impact. Rita’s writing bridges legal analysis, institutional critique, and public education, with a consistent focus on accountability without losing sight of the people most affected by the justice system.
What Happens When Judges Are Never Tested for Cognitive Fitness?
Courts are one of the last places in modern society where a single person’s cognitive capacity carries absolute, largely unreviewed…
Attorney Thomas M. Ripley Reprimanded After Client Neglect and Failure to Supervise Staff in Divorce Matter
The Michigan Attorney Discipline Board has issued a reprimand against Thomas M. Ripley (P40192) of Shelbyville, Michigan, effective September 5, 2025, following consent discipline proceedings. The reprimand…
Life Is Better Without Court: Why Avoiding the Legal System Matters—and What the Alternatives Are
Life is better without court. Here’s why keeping the legal system out of your life is often the smartest move…and…
Why the Fit-Bench Act Matters: Lessons from the Judge Pauline Newman Case
On the heels of Oakland County Judge Kirsten Nielsen Hartig’s dementia diagnosis, I felt it worth stating something the judicial…
All in the Family: How Legal Dynasties Shape Prosecutor and Judicial Power
The legal system likes to describe itself as meritocratic. Neutral, even. Open to anyone with the credentials and the “grit”…
Michigan Has No Way to Ensure Judges Are Mentally Fit to Serve. That’s a Terrifying Problem.
Every person who walks into a courtroom assumes one basic thing: the judge deciding their case is mentally capable of…
Judge Kirsten Nielson Hartig’s Dementia Diagnosis Exposes Michigan’s Judicial Fitness Gap
Major Development in Judge Kirsten Nielson Hartig Judicial Tenure Investigation Reinforces Need for Mental Fitness Standards on the Bench. For…
Kevin Travis Announces Candidacy for 57th District Judge in Allegan County
Watson Township Supervisor Kevin Travis has formally announced his candidacy for the 57th District Judgeship, soon to be vacated by retiring Judge…
Attorney Charles G. Goedert Reprimanded After Sending Critical Letter to Appellate Judge
The Michigan Attorney Discipline Board has issued a reprimand against Charles G. Goedert (P39645) of Kalkaska, Michigan, effective August 27, 2025, following consent discipline proceedings. The reprimand…
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