District Judge John B. Collins dies at age 83
Judge John B. Collins (retired) died Dec. 14 following a lengthy illness with Lewy Body Dementia.
A native of Ishpeming, and a graduate of Ishpeming High School, Collins earned his undergraduate degree from Northern Michigan University, where he completed a U.S. Marine Corps Officer Training Program at Quantico, Va., and received an honorable discharge.
After earning his J.D. degree in 1962 from Cleveland Marshall Law School of Cleveland State University, he was admitted to practice in the state of Michigan in 1963 and became a practicing lawyer in Ypsilanti from 1963 to 1985.
He was elected to 14-B District Court in 1985 and served as the Chief Judge of that court and senior judge in the Washtenaw County Trial Court until retirement.
Collins was a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Washtenaw County Bar Association, Ypsilanti Bar Association, Michigan District Judges Association and American Judges Association.
He served as general counsel for Eastern Michigan Police Officers Association and the Ypsilanti Police Officer Association. He served as the Ypsilanti Township attorney and was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court in 1969, the United States District Court as well as the United State Court of Appeals.
He was a member of the Lawyers and Judges Assistance Program, State Bar of Michigan along with numerous civic organizations; and was on the Board of Directors for Options Inc., Leaders in Prevention and the Michigan Substance Abuse Committee.
Survivors include his wife Patricia, six children, nine grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter.
A Memorial Mass will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 410 W. Cross Street.
Contributions in Collins’ memory may be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA.org), Home of New Vision or Safe House Center.
Life sentence ordered for man in fatal shooting of jogger
MUSKEGON, Mich. (AP) — A man convicted of killing a woman in western Michigan blew a kiss to the courtroom before he was sentenced to life in prison in one of two murder cases filed against him.
A judge approved Jeffrey Willis’ request to go back to the Muskegon County jail and skip the hearing. Spectators yelled “coward” when he was escorted from court Monday.
Willis was convicted in the fatal shooting of Rebekah Bletsch, who was jogging when she was killed in 2014.
Willis was arrested two years later when a teenager said he tried to kidnap her. The arrest jump-started investigations of the Bletsch homicide and the 2013 disappearance of gas station clerk Jessica Heeringa.
A gun, rope, chains, handcuffs and syringes were found in Willis’ van.
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
