3 Delta County commissioners’ recall appeals have been denied

ESCANABA, Mich. (WLUC) - A circuit court judge dismissed recall appeals filed by Delta County Commissioners Robert Petersen, Robert Barron and David Moyle.

During Monday’s hearing, Judge Christopher Ninomiya called the appeals, “frivolous.”

Delta County Citizens for Ethical Leadership, the group that filed the recall petition, said the judge’s decision came quickly.

“The judge, he seemed fairly upset at how unprepared they [the commissioners] were and commented that it did appear to be a waste of everyone’s time and taxpayer money,” said Christiana Reynolds, social media manager for the Delta County Citizens for Ethical Leadership group.

Reynolds said she agreed with the judge’s assessment, finding irony in the appeals.

“When I heard the judge use that language, it just felt deeply ironic. They just hired Scott Graham to protect the county against frivolous lawsuits, and here we are, in real-time, experiencing a frivolous appeal.”

Moyle, however, said nothing was wasted in exercising a right.

“I don’t agree with what [the judge] said. We paid our own appellate costs,” Moyle said. “We didn’t cost the taxpayers anything. In fact, if it had gone to a November election, the cost would have been over $10,000.”

Moyle said he and the other two commissioners were just doing their jobs.

“We are being recalled, on political grounds, based on the fact that they don’t like what we’re doing,” he said.

Now that the appeals have been denied, the citizen’s group is moving forward with their recall petition. Reynolds said they’re holding their first signature gathering event Thursday.

Copyright 2023 WLUC. All rights reserved.