A Michigan disciplinary panel has publicly reprimanded St. Joseph County Prosecutor Deborah Davis, finding she misled a judge while working as an assistant prosecutor in a 2024 court hearing that resulted in a defendant being jailed.
The Michigan Attorney Discipline Board issued the reprimand on June 20 following a formal complaint from the state’s Attorney Grievance Commission. The case centered on a January 2024 bond hearing in which Davis failed to tell the court she had already instructed the subpoenaed victim to leave, and then implied the victim was uncooperative and afraid of the defendant.
Former Prosecutor Dave Marvin, who was Davis’s supervisor at the time, conducted an internal investigation and fired her shortly afterward.
“She misled him, she lied to him, and she withheld information,” Marvin said in an interview with WVPE. “There are eight different examples in one hearing, a direct lie, deliberately misleading, or failure to provide information.” According to the disciplinary report, the court revoked the defendant’s bond based on Davis’s statements. The hearing was also postponed, and the defendant spent additional time in jail.
Marvin said he became aware of the issue after a voicemail was left for the judge by the victim.
“She was extremely mad, left a voice message and said, ‘I don’t trust the prosecutor’s office, the prosecutor lied,’” Marvin said. “The judge said, ‘I’m not handling this. This is for you to handle.’ I said, ‘I will handle it.’” The disciplinary panel concluded Davis violated multiple professional conduct rules, including making false statements to a tribunal and engaging in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.
Davis pleaded no contest to the allegations but disputed the accuracy of the internal investigation. She currently serves as the elected prosecutor for St. Joseph County.
Her office did not respond to WVPE’s request for comment.
Marvin, who lost reelection to Davis in 2024, said he was troubled that the public still placed their confidence in her.
“Tens of thousands of tax dollars were wasted on a liar,” he said. “And I wish people cared. That is the kind of person who should never be in a position of authority.” The disciplinary panel's report noted both aggravating and mitigating factors. Davis had no prior misconduct and was cooperative with the investigation, but the panel also cited the vulnerability of the victim and Davis’s experience as a prosecutor as aggravating elements.
