On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board reduced the suspension of attorney Jason Kolkema’s law license from 180 days to 90 days, affirming additional conditions imposed by a hearing panel. The decision followed a review of a case involving Kolkema’s alleged domestic violence incident and his failure to comply with a disciplinary request.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Jason Kolkema,” with case no. 23-74-GA.
In August 2022, Kolkema, a candidate for judicial office in Muskegon County’s 14th Circuit Court, was involved in an incident where he allegedly assaulted his then-girlfriend, Jessica, with a belt. Witnesses recorded the event, and police found a black belt at the scene. Kolkema was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence in the 60th District Court.
The case gained significant media attention, impacting his judicial campaign. Kolkema resolved the criminal charge through a plea under MCL 769.4a, which allowed for probation without a formal conviction. He completed probation on August 22, 2023, leading to the dismissal of the charge.
On August 14, 2023, the Grievance Administrator filed a formal complaint against Kolkema, alleging misconduct related to the assault and his failure to provide a requested Lawyer’s and Judge’s Assistance Program (LJAP) assessment. Kolkema underwent the assessment in January 2023 but did not share it with the Attorney Grievance Commission (AGC), despite repeated requests from the Administrator’s counsel in June 2023. Kolkema cited privacy concerns,
Muskegon County Hearing Panel #2 conducted proceedings and, on August 28, 2024, suspended Kolkema’s license for 180 days, effective September 19, 2024, with conditions including LJAP supervision for one year and participation in substance abuse and mental health counseling. The panel found that Kolkema violated professional conduct rules, including MRPC 8.1(a)(2) for failing to respond to a lawful demand for information and provisions of the Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct due to the publicized incident.
Kolkema sought a review, arguing the panel erred in denying his motion for summary disposition regarding the LJAP assessment and in considering media publicity as an aggravating factor. He also claimed the 180-day suspension was excessive. The Grievance Administrator did not oppose Kolkema’s petition for a stay, which the Board granted on October 15, 2024.
The Board reduced the suspension to 90 days, citing prior cases where reprimands or shorter suspensions were imposed for similar conduct, especially given Kolkema’s lack of prior disciplinary record, expressed remorse, and completion of probation. The Board also affirmed the conditions, including LJAP supervision, as modified on October 15, 2024. The decision was supported by eight Board members, with one absent.
The Disposition states:
“Finally, in the absence of an explanation as to why a 180-day suspension is an appropriate sanction to impose for the conduct that occurred here, we reduce the suspension imposed by the hearing panel to a 90-day suspension and affirm the condi t ions imposed by the hearing panel, and as modified in the hearing panel’s October 15, 2024 order, in their entirety.”
According to Avvo.com, Mr. Kolkema is a criminal defense attorney in Muskegon, Michigan. He acquired his law license in Michigan in 1996.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
