Criminal charges prompt judge to take leave

Judge David Parrott

Judge David Parrott of the 34th District Court in Romulus has taken a leave from his duties as he faces charges filed last week of domestic violence assault and a drunk driving offense from Dec. 25, 2018.
Both charges are misdemeanors.
Parrott, 59, notified the court of his voluntary leave of absence last Thursday in a letter to Chief Judge Brian Oakley.
“I am deeply disappointed in myself for being in the position of even responding to these embarrassing situations,” Parrott stated in the letter. “I have always strived to hold myself to the highest standards my position demands. Because we as judges are held to a higher standard, my ability to fairly and impartially adjudicate their cases may be called into question. I believe, therefore, that this action is necessary to preserve the public integrity and reputation of the judiciary.”

Parrott said that the allegations warrant him searching to evaluate his relationships as well as his physical, emotional and mental state. He said that he hopes to return to his judicial duties within 45-60 days but that the length of his absence is currently indeterminate.
Parrott is represented by attorney Mike Nichols who is representing him in his appeal of the court decision on the operating a vehicle while intoxicated charge. In a social media post, Nichols said he is fighting to “introduce important evidence of his (Parrott's) innocence” of the drunken driving charge.
“Judge Parrot is going through a crisis in his life with all of these allegations,” Nichols said in a video posted to Twitter. “He is going to take time and step away from the bench. He's also going to undergo an evaluation to see what he may need in his life, in terms of perhaps some treatment for various things.”
The domestic abuse charge stems from an incident Feb. 8 when Van Buren Township police officers were called to the condo Parrott shares with a 55-year-old woman. When officers arrived at the scene, they reported that the woman was visibly upset, She told officers that Parrott had assaulted her, causing a bump on her head, a laceration on her right hand and pain to her lower back. After an investigation at the scene, police arrested Parrott who spent the weekend in the Canton Township lock-up.
During his arraignment in the 35th District Court before Judge James Plakas, Parrott admitted that he owns several firearms including a .40 caliber Glock 27 kept in his office. Plakas required him to relinquish custody of the guns to law enforcement officers as a condition of his bond, set at $2,500.. Plakas further required Parrott to wear an alcohol monitoring tether and forbid him to have any contact with the victim or return to the Van Buren Township home where the altercation allegedly occurred.
A probable cause court hearing is scheduled for Parrott at the 35th District Court Feb. 28.