Judge J. Cedric Simpson of Ann Arbor; ethical gremlin

The state of Michigan presented J. Cedric Simpson with a license in 1986 after he graduated from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Law School.

In 1990, former Gov. James Blanchard was duped into appointing Simpson as a Washtenaw County District Court judge. Simpson didn’t receive the appointment because he was the most qualified attorney in the greater Ann Arbor area. He received it because he had proven to be a reliable lackey for the local political hacks.

In late 2014, the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission charged Simpson with the following misconduct.

In addition to his judicial salary, Simpson also worked as an adjunct professor at the Cooley Law School in Ann Arbor. Crystal Marie Vargas was a student in one or more of the classes taught by Simpson. During 2013, Ms. Vargas was also an intern at the 14A District Court where Simpson was employed.

In the early morning of September 8, 2013, Crystal Marie Vargas, Simpson's intern, was involved in a car crash while driving intoxicated in Pittsfield Township, Michigan. Crystal then called Simpson who arrived at the scene of the accident and allegedly interfered in the field sobriety tests being administered by a local police officer. Crystal was arrested after completion of a field sobriety test and a finding of a blood alcohol level of 0.137.

Shortly thereafter, Judge Simpson contacted Pittsfield Township City Attorney Victor Lillich on a number of occasions in order to “help” Crystal out.

As one would suspect, Simpson was involved in a personal relationship with Crystal and despite evidence proving same, he had the chutzpah to deny the relationship. In fact, the evidence included almost 10,000 text and phone calls exchanged between Crystal and Simpson.

All that’s left now is to see what if any punishment is meted out to Simpson by the Patron Saints for Judicial Misfits sitting on the Michigan Supreme Court.

As we speak (ca. January 2015), Simpson continues to sit as a Washtenaw County District Court judge in Ann Arbor, Michigan.