Michigan lawyer running for judge caught on camera allegedly belt-whipping girlfriend

[demmiblue]

Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press
October 7, 2022, 10:44 AM·13 min read

MUSKEGON, Mich. – Two weeks after winning the August primary, judicial candidate Jason Kolkema appeared to viciously whip his girlfriend with a belt during an argument in his western Michigan apartment, presumably unaware that nearby witnesses were recording the scene.

When he noticed the onlookers from his window, the 51-year-old lawyer flashed them the peace sign, and has since claimed the video isn't what it seems: He was striking a chair with his belt, not his girlfriend, the woman and his lawyer have maintained.

But the video triggered criminal charges – and a tsunami of public outrage in the city of Muskegon, which borders Lake Michigan and is about 40 miles northwest of Grand Rapids.

In a scandalous judicial election that has stirred much debate in western Michigan, the topic of domestic violence has taken center stage as women's rights activists fight to keep Kolkema off the bench, arguing he isn't fit to be judge, especially in cases involving battered women and vulnerable children.

https://news.yahoo.com/michigan-lawyer-running-judge-caught-144444519.html

Link to tweet

[brush]

1. Why is critical info not given, even on the linked story.

Is Jason Kolkema a Democrat or republican?

[Kaleva]

3. I think Judges run as non partisan

[brush]

8. Hmmm. IMO that deprives voters of needed info.

[Kaleva]

13. In MI, we have to do research on the candidates running for judgeships

[Ocelot II]

14. You can usually figure it out from who endorses them.

In my state judges also run as nonpartisan, but if they got to be judges initially by being appointed by the governor instead of defeating an incumbent judge in an election (which doesn't happen often), you know which party they are affiliated with even though they can't advertise it in their election materials. The ones from the lunatic fringes are usually pretty obvious.

[Mr.Bill]

15. In California all local elections are officially non-partisan.

Simplest way to find out which party they are is to go to the website for your local Democratic Committee and see who they endorse.

[demmiblue]

4. Judicial elections are nonpartisan. n/t

[Ocelot II]

6. Google provides no information. Apparently judges run without party affiliation.

[Joinfortmill]

9. I googled it. Nowhere could I find any mention of party affiliation for any of the candidates.

[Joinfortmill]

2. What I saw was him clearly hitting her. Hope the law comes for him.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

5. Another piece of republican

Abuser ,perverted narcissist sociopath,criminal trash

[Ocelot II]

7. A Google search gave no info about his politics - judges run without affiliation.

Wouldn't surprise me if he turned out to be GOP but there's no actual evidence to that effect.

[demmiblue]

11. He is.

From the Muskegon County GOP (2020):

https://www.muskegongop.com/2020-candidates


​

[Torchlight]

10. Guy sounds like a real piece of work

I'll never really understand the rage and violence abusers act off of (or get off from), but I kinda think I'm a better person for this particular ignorance of mine.

Kolkema, arraigned Sept. 19 on domestic violence charges, has a history of losing his temper, behaving violently around women and children – including spitting on a 12-year-old girl – and has violated court orders, lied about his relationship with his client-girlfriend, battled an Adderall addiction and failed to pay child support...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/10/07/belt-whipping-girlfriend-michigan-lawyer-judge-candidate/8205486001/

Further in, it appears he "compelled" his girlfriend to substantiate his claims of self-righteousness.

According to the girlfriend, on the day in question, Kolkema was trying to get her attention to finish a conversation they had previously started, but she was on a headset and distracted. So to get her attention, she said, he struck a chair's armrest with his belt.

I'd heard my sister singing that same tune (different lyrics) about her deadbeat husband until she wound up in a hospital ER with some very discerning RNs who knew bullshit when they heard it, saw it, and treated it.

[Midnight Writer]

18. Why is this guy wasting time running for Judge? He could be Republican candidate for President!

[frogmarch]

12. How can he say

he was hitting a chair? Do chairs have arms and legs that fly up when struck?

What a piece of shit he is!

[struggle4progress]

16. Wants no-contact order lifted so alleged victim can campaign

Posted: Oct 7, 2022 / 11:14 AM EDT
Updated: Oct 7, 2022 / 11:24 AM EDT

MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — The Muskegon County judge candidate accused of beating his girlfriend with a belt has filed a motion to lift the no-contact order so the alleged victim can campaign with him ...

In the motion to lift the no-contact order, Kolkema said that it was in the best interest of both parties to have the order lifted ...

“The impact of the no-contact order falls particularly hard on (Kolkema) who is required to pay the rent for an apartment he cannot enjoy,” the motion said, adding that he does not have a lot of other options and wishes to stay in the apartment with the alleged victim ...

... the motion states that the alleged victim was a “significant part of (Kolkema’s) campaign” for Muskegon County’s 14th Circuit Court ...

https://www.woodtv.com/news/muskegon-county/judge-candidate-wants-no-contact-order-lifted-so-alleged-victim-can-campaign/

[struggle4progress]

17. Domestic violence charge makes candidate even more qualified

Updated: Sep. 09, 2022, 4:44 p.m.|Published: Sep. 09, 2022, 3:31 p.m.

MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI – A judicial candidate is even more qualified to sit on the bench now that he’s been arrested for domestic violence, according to a Thursday statement released by his attorney ...

Kolkema’s attorney, Terry Nolan, sent a statement to MLive/Muskegon Chronicle on Thursday, Sept. 8, that says there was “no intentional physical contact” during the incident ...

https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/2022/09/domestic-violence-charge-makes-judicial-candidate-even-more-qualified-attorney-says.html

[Hermit-The-Prog]

19. Just what we need -- another insane judge.

[IcyPeas]

21. ohmylord.... this quote from above:

A judicial candidate is even more qualified to sit on the bench now that he’s been arrested for domestic violence, according to a Thursday statement released by his attorney ...

A judicial candidate is even more qualified to sit on the bench now that he’s been arrested for [___________], according to a Thursday statement released by his attorney ...

fill in the blank. I guess every crime you commit is a learning experience you can add to your resume now.

they double down on everything now and even try to make sense of it for an excuse.

[dalton99a]

20. "It was the chair that needed punishment, not her"

[Eugene]

22. A decade of incidents and "I understand that the optics are bad."

The really scary thing is, if he hadn't been caught on camera, he might be on the bench.