Dearborn judge under fire for "preaching religion"

DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) - “Religion and the law make an uncomfortable mix," that’s the basis for years of complaints from attorneys and others who’ve appeared before Judge Mark Somers in Dearborn.

Now three lawsuits filed by current and former employees has heated up the battle to remove him from the bench for “preaching religion.” Former probation officer Simone Calvas was fired by Somers after her friends and coworkers Sharon Langen and Julie Pucci sent formal complaints to supervising judges and the State Supreme Court about Somers making religious references and quoting scripture from the bench. Langen was demoted, but Pucci was also fired after the Supreme Court’s regional administrator Deb Green chose to only accept Somers promise to stop the misconduct, and remove religious references from court documents.

With their reports, officials suggested their jobs would not be in jeopardy if Somers remained on the bench, but soon after he became Chief Judge of the 19th District, the women say they became targets.

“ What was going on in the court room was very bothersome to a lot of us,” Calvas told Action News. “There was religious connotations used from the bench…do you go to church, controlled substances or marijuana was referred to as Satan’s weed.”

“Basically, Ms Pucci and Ms. Langen complained about Judge Somers refusal to respect the separation of church and state,” said Calvas’ attorney James Fett. “You have other judges, Judge Hultgren, Judge Wyganic and Judge Sobatca all said my client did a fine job. And the only one who had a problem with my client was Judge Somers.”

Judge Somers spoke to Action News by phone, but only about the wrongful termination claim of Calvas.

“The probation officer was dismissed for lapses in job performance..and due to prior complaints from other employees,” the Judge said.

Pucci and Langen have file suit in federal Court. Calvas’ wrongful termination complaint is to be heard in Wayne County.