Hamtramck 31st District Court Judge Paul Paruk is leaving his post after serving the city for 26 years.
By Charles Sercombe
After 26 years on the bench, Hamtramck 31st District Court Judge Paul Paruk is stepping down, according to sources.
The Review was unable to reach Paruk for comment.
But various sources in city hall confirmed Paruk will be leaving to take a new job with the State Supreme Court in an administrative position.
Paruk will be replaced with a temporary judge for the immediate future while a search is conducted for someone to fill the position until the November General Election in 2017.
Paruk’s replacement will have to be a resident in the city. The State Bar of Michigan has already posted the position in its website. To be considered for the position, an application must be submitted by June 24.
Gov. Rick Snyder will make the appointment.
It was not immediately known when Paruk will leave his position. His departure ends a legacy for his family. His father, Walter, was the district court judge for many years before Paul won election in 1990 after his father retired.
In Hamtramck the one who wins the judgeship has a position for life since it is rare that anyone runs against the incumbent judge in this city.
Paul Paruk made international news several years ago when he required a Muslim woman to remove her face veil, commonly known as a niqab, in order to testify.
He insisted that he needed to see the face of witnesses as one way to determine if they are telling the truth.
The woman, who had a lawsuit pending against an auto rental company, refused to remove her veil and Paruk dismissed her case.
The woman filed a lawsuit in federal court claiming a civil rights violation, but a federal judge dismissed it, saying it is up to the State Supreme Court to establish rules about appearances.
Attorney Nick Frontczak, a friend of Paruk’s and a former city attorney for Hamtramck, said Paruk was a “credit to the city and the judicial system.”
“He carried himself very well on the bench and made reasoned decisions,” he said.
Frontczak also credited Paruk with modernizing the court and reorganizing its administration.
Paruk also instituted a community service program for offenders instead of jailing them or fining them.