she can certainly afford to heat her home during the brutal michigan wintersa privilege many in her region can't take for granted. while judge wood kicks back in her climate-controlled home, families in her jurisdiction juggle heating bills and food expenses, with some living in housing unfit for even a midwest winter. her privilege starkly contrasts with the lived realities of the people she presumes to govern. from 2022: > i appreciate so much the supportive and beautiful faces i see here today. i truly am gracious. i am filled with gratitude. im afraid, but im also really looking forward to the challenge of being a judge. im just filled with a lot of happiness today and i want you all to know that. > its such a happy day, jessie, said u.s. district magistrate judge patricia t. morris. > i hope you find its the best job ever. > im just very excited to meet the people of bay county and to really problem solve. thats what ive done pretty well in private practice  find a way to resolve issues. im really looking forward to that. these saccharine sentiments from wood and morris sound almost delusional when examined in light of the grim realities of bay city and saginaw. these regions, besieged by crime and systemic rot, expose the emptiness of these judicial platitudes. here's how her tone changed. from 2024: > quite frankly, michigan doesnt really want you any longer in our state. oh my. what happened, judge wood? the stark contrast is stunning. in 2022, wood played the humble public servant, gracious and eager to tackle the challenges of her new position. by 2024, shes a petty, sanctimonious arbiter, wielding her authority like a cudgel. the shift is emblematic of michigans broader rota place where mediocrity reigns supreme, and those in power revel in their own self-importance while the state crumbles around them.
United States