DEARBORN — A jury trial for the first of three lawsuits against Chief Judge Mark Somers of the 19th District Court is scheduled to begin January 31 in the Wayne County Circuit Court.

Former Probation Officer Simone Calvas, former Deputy Court Administrator Julie Pucci, and former court clerk Sharon Langen are alleging that Somers allowed his religious beliefs to influence administrative decisions that he made at the court.

Calvas was fired from her position, a decisions she feels was based on her unwedded pregnancy. Somers says it was due to her job performance.

Pucci, who is in a romantic relationship with Judge William Hultgren, was passed over for the position of top court administrator. She believes it was due to her unmarried, live-in relationship with Hultgren, while Somers says promoting her would have violated the court’s anti-nepotism policy. Langen is a close friend of Pucci, who believes her friendship with Pucci was responsible for her demotion.

Langen and Pucci’s cases will be heard in federal court, and they will be represented by attorney Joel Sklar.

Calvas case was to be heard in federal court, but when she switch attorneys due to health problems of her first, Jim Fett, her current attorney, filed the case of Wayne County Court.