MLive / news@whmi.com

A Livingston County judge will no longer oversee juvenile cases following complaints alleging bias and unequal treatment in her courtroom, according to MLive.

Livingston County Board of Commissioners Chair Nick Fiani announced during the board’s meeting on Monday, June 22, that Livingston County Chief Judge Matthew J. McGivney has updated county court docket assignments.

“I think this is a monumentally positive step in the right direction from what, in my opinion, were severe injustices that have transpired within her courtroom,” Fiani said during the meeting.

The new docket reassigns Livingston County Circuit Court Family Division Judge Susan Longsworth from handling any cases involving minors.

Longsworth presides at the Brighton Courthouse.

“We have one of the greatest counties here in Michigan,” Fiani told MLive when asked to further elaborate on his comment about Longsworth during the June 22 meeting. “We have some superior judges, and Longsworth, who was recently appointed, has just been an absolute detriment, in my opinion.”

McGivney and Longsworth declined requests for comment citing their inability to discuss ongoing court cases.

Fifth District Commissioner Jay Drick, the board’s vice chair, said the court ordered the docket reassignments on June 9. The updated docket only applies to cases filed after June 22.

Fiani said he has received several complaints about Longsworth from people who have appeared before her in her courtroom. He noted that these complaints have been consistent and continuous.

“She fails to respect, in my opinion, not only the legal system and due process, but the clients who have to go before her with regard to their legal matters,” he said.

Hamburg Township resident Hannah Sudds criticized Longsworth during the public comments portion of the county board’s June 22 meeting. She has also complained about Longsworth at previous county board meetings.

“This is only a small snippet of the hell she has put us through, and it’s not over,” Hannah Sudds said during the county board’s Jan. 26 meeting. “This happened at her order in her courtroom, and I want everyone here to know that.”

During the board’s Jan. 26 meeting, Hannah Sudds claimed her issues with Longsworth began after she said she filed for divorce in 2024 to escape an abusive relationship, filed for a personal protection order and was granted full custody of her children.

Hannah Sudds said the divorce proceedings are still ongoing.

“She insulted me and called me dumb and a bad mom, and she threatened to take my kids,” she said during the county board’s Jan. 26 meeting. “I knew my life and my kids’ lives were in her hands and I was terrified.”

Hannah Sudds said Longsworth was dismissive of her complaints about the alleged abuse by her estranged husband, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor stalking charge on June 26, according to Livingston County Court records.

“I did not invent tales of stalking and child abuse to gain advantage in my divorce. I was telling the truth and pleading for help,” Hannah Sudds said during the county board’s Jan. 26 meeting.

Longsworth also allegedly ordered Hannah Sudds and her estranged husband to schedule an appointment with a particular therapist within five days.

Because they missed the deadline, Hannah Sudds said Longsworth punished her while rewarding her estranged husband, allegedly saying he was incapable of scheduling the appointment. Hannah Sudds said Longsworth then sentenced her to jail and placed her children in foster care.

“We cannot be held responsible for outcomes we have no power to determine,” she said during the county board’s June 22 meeting.

Chief Judge McGivney had her case transferred to a different judge, who immediately ordered that Hannah Sudds be released from jail and reunited with her children, according to Fiani and Hannah Sudds.

Fiani noted that Hannah Sudds was jailed on a Friday and forced to remain in custody over the weekend, as her kids were sent to an out-of-state camp that has been accused of child abuse, faced lawsuits and been banned in multiple states, according to Hannah Sudds.

“You’ve heard of programs that send armed officers to forcibly drag children from their homes,” Hannah Sudds said during the county board’s June 22 meeting. “Before Longsworth, I didn’t believe such places existed anymore. But they do. And Judge Longsworth is an enthusiastic supporter.”

Fiani also argued that Hannah Sudds was punished unfairly, claiming that she complied with all court orders.

“The only thing Hannah was guilty of is looking out for the welfare of her two juvenile children,” he said. “It is just unbelievable and a nightmare to see what has transpired in her case.”

Video of the Livingston County Board of Commissioners June 22 meeting is linked below.