WAYNE COUNTY — Wayne County Judge Deborah Ross Adams is facing ethics charges after being accused of signing her divorce lawyer’s name to documents without receiving consent. Adams will have her case heard by the Michigan Supreme Court. 

Adams.

The state’s Judicial Tenure Commission investigates and prosecutes ethics violations by judges.  The commission concluded that Wayne County Circuit Judge Deborah Ross Adams “could not possibly believe she had” her attorney’s permission to sign legal documents using the attorney’s name. 

The   said it also found that Ross Adams “lied under oath, and made misrepresentations.”  One issue of concern JTC says is whether Ross Adams lied during a hearing in her divorce case. 

The JTC found that Ross Adams repeatedly called the office of the judge presiding in her divorce, yet denied doing so during a hearing in her divorce case.  

Ross Adams says that she did not lie, that she denied trying to contact the judge directly, but never denied calling the judge’s staff in her attempts to reschedule a hearing.