Nettles’ law license nearly reinstated; ‘I have a future’

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For Beverly Nettles, the 10-year ordeal of getting her law license reinstated is nearly over.

The former Ingham County Circuit judge was told Feb. 24 that the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board unanimously decided to grant her eligibility for reinstatement. As soon as she completes a couple of legal brush-up courses, she will be allowed to practice law again.

Theoretically, she’s young enough (the state Constitution bans anyone 70 and older from the ballot) to run again for a judgeship … but that’s getting ahead of things.

For now, Nettles, formerly known as Beverly Nettles-Nickerson, is just grateful to clear what seemed at times to be an insurmountable hurdle after being tossed off the bench and stripped of her law license.

“My hope is to be an inspiration to those who have had trials and tribulations,” she said. “I hope my own journey to fulfillment will lead others to not be conformists or complacent or cowardly in dealing with difficult issues.”

Say what you will about Nettles, she’s certainly not any of the aforementioned three “Cs.”

The African-American one-time jurist was before her time in calling out implicit bias in the workplace. There wasn’t a name for it in 2006. Claims along those lines definitely weren’t taken with the same level of seriousness as they are in 2021.

Back then, it was “show us the proof of racism.” You don’t have anything tangible? You lose.

Racial sensitive training wasn’t exactly a widespread thing.

The State Court Administrative Office couldn’t find anything to Nettles’ claims that she was treated differently by the chief judge than her fellow judges. So, when she got caught stuck in the legal soup due to a messy divorce, she definitely didn’t get the benefit of the doubt.

In 2008, the Michigan Supreme Court agreed with six of the Judicial Tenure Commission’s counts against Nettles that she made false statements under oath about a divorce proceeding, fabricated evidence and was excessively absent.

The Attorney Discipline Board proceeded to suspend her ability to practice law in Michigan for nearly three years. They nailed her for one single charge of fabricating an email she attached to her JTC response.

The three years came and went. Her license wasn’t reinstated. She tried again in 2015. Still no go. She fought the decisions all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2017, they looked into her claims that she’d been wronged. She lost again.

“I did make mistakes,” Nettles conceded. “Mistakes happen. Intentional or unintentional, but you have to recognize what you should have done and what you did wrong and go down that path of self-reflection.”

She said she realizes the email that sank her legal career was a mistake. Several other mistakes were made, as well.

After this many years, she’s come to peace with her seemingly overly harsh punishment because she said she’s had to.

“Carrying that burden of hate, it will make you old and bitter. I didn’t want that,” Nettles said.

She watched former Livingston County Judge Theresa Brennen get bounced off the bench for having an extramarital affair with the lead investigator on a murder trial that was before her court.

Did her conduct really rise to that same level, Nettles asked herself. She watched other judges convicted of actual crimes get a lighter banishment than she received.

When the frustration of this perceived injustice swelled in her heart, Nettles said she’d lean on the lyrics of a Donnie McClurkin gospel song called “Stand” that goes like this:

“Tell me, how do you handle the guilt of your past? Tell me, how do you deal with the shame? And how can you smile while your heart has been broken and filed with pain? … You just stand.”

“I tried to do that,” Nettles said. “I was not going to give up. I have a future.”

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