Detroit Voters Elect ‘Suspended’ Judge

Detroit voters have elected a former judge with a lengthy record of judicial misconduct back to the bench, despite a Michigan Supreme Court suspension that prevents her from hearing cases for nearly three more years.

Kahlilia Davis, 50, received 83,991 votes in the November 3 election, securing one of three available seats on Detroit’s 36th District Court.

But there’s an extraordinary catch: Davis is barred from exercising judicial authority until at least June 2029, meaning voters elected someone who cannot immediately perform the central duties of the office.

The unusual outcome has stunned some local voters, raised questions about Michigan’s election rules and created a potential financial headache for an already understaffed court.

Davis was originally elected in 2016 and took office in January 2017. Her first term quickly became mired in controversy, with allegations ranging from abusing her authority over defendants to deliberately interfering with official courtroom recordings.

In June 2023, the Michigan Supreme Court handed down a six-year conditional suspension without pay after determining that Davis had engaged in repeated and deliberate misconduct.

The justices concluded that her actions damaged public confidence in the judiciary and interfered with the administration of justice.

Among the findings were that Davis improperly exercised her contempt powers, disregarded instructions from court leadership, made false statements and deliberately disconnected courtroom recording equipment.

She was also found to have used an unauthorized disabled parking placard and threatened colleagues with biblical passages.

In one particularly troubling aspect of the case, investigators determined that Davis had failed to preserve official records of certain court proceedings, undermining the documentation essential to protecting the rights of defendants and other parties.

The Michigan Supreme Court described her conduct as “beyond the pale” for a member of the judiciary.

Although Davis had already left office when the six-year sanction was imposed, the court made clear that winning another election would not allow her to bypass the punishment.

That ruling is now at the center of an unprecedented situation in Detroit.

Davis initially faced obstacles getting her name onto the 2026 ballot.

Michigan election officials questioned whether a candidate barred from exercising judicial authority should be permitted to run for a judgeship at all.

Davis challenged the decision in court, arguing that her suspension prevented her from serving but did not prohibit her from seeking election.

In June 2026, Court of Claims Judge Robert Redford ruled in her favor, finding that the Michigan Supreme Court had not explicitly barred her from running.

That decision allowed Davis to appear on the November ballot alongside three other candidates competing for three judicial positions.

She finished second in the four-person race, receiving approximately 27.5% of the votes cast for candidates and write-ins combined.

The election result has left some Detroit residents frustrated, particularly those who say they did not know about her suspension before casting their ballots.

“They didn’t advertise that,” voter Jeffrey Williams told local television station WDIV.

Williams said he believed the public should have been informed that Davis could not immediately serve if elected.

“They should have let us know that she was suspended and wouldn’t be able to serve as a judge,” he said, adding that the information could have changed his decision.

Another voter, James Stephens, told the station that learning about Davis’s misconduct and suspension would have influenced his vote.

Now, the court must figure out how to handle a newly elected judge who cannot preside over cases.

Chief Judge William McConico said Davis is expected to be formally brought into the court in January 2027, but she will remain prohibited from hearing cases until her suspension expires.

The situation could force the court to hire a visiting judge to handle the workload she cannot perform.

McConico warned that the arrangement presents a significant administrative and financial challenge because the expense of bringing in another judge was not included in the court’s budget.

That raises another unresolved question: whether Davis will receive a judicial salary while serving under suspension.

The 2023 Michigan Supreme Court order specifically imposed a suspension without pay, but court administrators are seeking guidance on how that order applies following her latest election.

McConico emphasized that the court must recognize both the voters’ election decision and the authority of the Michigan Supreme Court.

Davis’s victory has also brought renewed attention to how judicial candidates are evaluated and how much information voters receive in lower-profile elections.

The Detroit Bar Association has explained that Davis was not included in its 2026 judicial ratings because she was not on the ballot when the evaluations were conducted.

For now, Davis is expected to begin a new six-year term in January, even though she cannot exercise judicial powers until at least 2029.

The case leaves Detroit facing an unusual legal and administrative dilemma: a candidate has won a judicial election, but an existing Supreme Court disciplinary order prevents her from doing the job voters elected her to perform.