Fellow judge says Aquilina’s sentencing hearing for Nassar didn’t respect judicial system
(WLNS) – Some people consider Judge Rosemarie Aquilina a hero, but others say, like fellow judge William Collette, she went too far. Judge Collette says he has no love for Larry Nassar, but feels Aquilina did a disservice to him and to the entire judicial process with her decisions and statements.
“It’s probably the most outrageous sentencing hearing that I have ever experienced in my career.”
Collette says Nassar is evil and should be locked up forever, but believes the verbal abuse he was subjected to at the hands of Aquilina doesn’t respect the judicial system, citing statements she made like: “I just signed your death warrant.”
Judge Collette also felt many of the actions Aquilina acted out to the watching world were simply atrocious.
“I thought it was really amazing how he writes a letter to the judge and she reads it in open court and belittles him in the courtroom about it and tears it up right in front of the media. Is that what we do now?”
In addition, Collette believes the absurdity Judge Aquilina allowed in her courtroom, by providing a platform for dozens of people not directly linked to his Ingham County guilty plea, could cause more chaos.
“If he filed an appeal, it would be in my view this would be reversed in regards to the sentencing and remanded to a different judge.”
Judge Aquilina has said she is absolutely sure that someone will file a complaint with the State Bar Attorney Grievance Panel over some of the remarks she made during the sentencing hearing.
24-Hour News 8’s sister station, WLNS, reached out to her for reaction to Judge Collette’s comments, but have yet to hear back.