It seems that the big news around the city today surrounds the comments recently made by 52-1 district court (Novi) Magestrate Judith Holtz. On April 20th, 20-year-old Michael Robert Dickey came before her during a sentencing hearing on a charge of Minor in Possession of alcohol. Dickey had two prior convictions for drunk driving and, according to the court, “had failed to comply with his bond conditions to remain drug and alcohol free.”

Her comments:

“Here is my suggestion to you, Mr. Dickey, climb up on the roof of your house and jump off; either that or get in a bathtub filled with hot water and slash your wrists; then you will be dead; it will be cheaper; it will be faster and in the long run it will be less painful to anybody who cares about you, because that’s where you’re headed now, and the best part of it is you won’t take somebody else with you.

“Who do you think you are? You don’t have the right to go out there and endanger innocent people and you know it. And you have had two convictions for drunk driving and you’re not twenty one and you still drink.”

Channel 7 News (WXYZ) is all over this story.

Novi 52-1 District Judge Brian MacKenzie, chief judge pro tem, followed up with the following:

“The words chosen by the Court’s magistrate to convey the seriousness and severity of the defendant’s actions and crime could have been better chosen,” the court said in a statement. “The magistrate was attempting to convey, through an analogy, that the defendant’s actions and past behavior has continually put the community at risk.”

Sure, these were harsh words.  But, but how many of you (if not just once in your live) wouldn’t like the opportunity to say the same to someone who seems to care not one bit about putting the lives of your family members in danger?   It seems like just yesterday that a prominent Novi businessman tragically lost his entire family to a drunk driver.

So from me to you, Magestrate Holtz, Kudos! I’m more than willing to give you a pass on this one.