Judge Julie A. Gafkay
Identity
| Field | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Julie A. Gafkay | |
| Bar Number | P53680 | SCBA |
| Court | 10th Circuit Court, Saginaw County | Saginaw County |
| Position | Chief Judge (Circuit AND District) | MLive, Jan 2026 |
| Appointed | April 26, 2023 (Gov. Whitmer) | Governor’s office |
| Vacancy | Retirement of Judge Janet M. Boes | Same |
| Prior firm | Gafkay Law, PLC — 604 S. Jefferson Ave., Saginaw | MLive |
| Education | BA, James Madison College (MSU), 1992. JD, Whittier Law School, 1995. | LII |
The SVSU Connection
| Fact | Gafkay | Ellison |
|---|---|---|
| SVSU Adjunct Professor | ✅ — prior to April 2023 appointment | ✅ — August 2017 to present (9 years) |
| Overlap period | At minimum 2017–2023 (6 years) | Same |
| University size | ~8,000 students, ~1,500 employees | Same |
Gafkay taught employment law; Ellison teaches law (Accounting, Law and Finance department). They were adjunct faculty colleagues at the same small regional university for at least six years before she became the judge presiding over his cases.
SVSU is not Michigan or Michigan State. It is a small university in University Center, Michigan (pop. ~3,000), serving the Saginaw/Bay City/Midland tri-city area. Adjunct law faculty at a school this size know each other.
Sources: Gov. Whitmer appointment · Ellison LinkedIn (SVSU since Aug 2017)
The Three-Case Problem
Judge Gafkay simultaneously presides over three active cases involving Philip L. Ellison:
| Case | Ellison’s Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 25-2441-CZ — OLC PLC v. Williams (SLAPP) | Named plaintiff / counsel | Successor judge after Borrello recusal. UPEPA motion + sanctions motion pending. Show cause hearing held Aug 3, 2026. |
| 26-000243-CZ — Ellison v. Consumers Energy | Named plaintiff (personal, with wife Katherine) | Active. Ellison filed two UPEPA special motions. |
| 25-2533-CH — Sova v. Consumers Energy (class action) | Plaintiff’s class counsel | Class action. Ellison + Gronda as proposed class counsel. Michigan Supreme Court denied leave Aug 27, 2026 (COA 379743). |
Why This Matters
She cannot rule against Ellison in Case 1 (the SLAPP) without implications for her assessment of his credibility, competence, and legal positions in Cases 2 and 3.
She cannot rule on Ellison’s UPEPA motion in Case 2 (Ellison v. Consumers) without creating the precedent that governs Rita’s UPEPA motion in Case 1 (the SLAPP). The same judge holds both sides of the judicial estoppel argument.
She cannot evaluate Ellison’s fitness as class counsel in Case 3 (Sova v. Consumers — a case affecting potentially thousands of Saginaw County residents) while simultaneously adjudicating evidence that he fabricated a witness, misrepresented an AGC investigation, and filed a SLAPP suit against a journalist in a case that was void from filing.
The structural incentive is to keep all three cases moving without confronting the pattern — because confronting it in one case destabilizes the other two.
The Saginaw County Bar Association
| Gafkay | Ellison |
|---|---|
| Past President, Saginaw County Bar Association | Practices in Saginaw County (Hemlock is in Saginaw County) |
| SCBA member since at least 2008 | SCBA membership status not confirmed in directory |
Gafkay led the county bar association. Ellison is the most active civil litigator in Hemlock, which is in Saginaw County. In a county bar of this size (~200-300 members), the president knows the active litigators.
Other Professional Positions
| Position | Detail |
|---|---|
| Women Lawyers Association of Michigan | Past President |
| National Association of Women Judges | Member (celebrated her appointment) |
| SuperLawyers | 2011–present |
| Top 50 Women Lawyers, Michigan | SuperLawyers designation |
| SBM Champion of Justice Award | 2019 |
| National Business Institute | Instructor, employment law |
| Character & Fitness Committee | State Bar of Michigan |
| Committee on Local Rules | US District Court, E.D. Michigan |
What Rita Has Documented
Per Clutch Justice, August 3, 2026:
At the August 3, 2026 show cause hearing before Judge Gafkay, Ellison stated on the record:
- That his client asked him for filings and records concerning Rita Williams
- That his client “was interested”
- That he provided them
- That he was “very positive” the same client created the domains threatening Rita and her minor child
The client (Lindke) is not a party to the SLAPP suit. Rule 1.4 (keeping clients informed) applies to a client’s own case, not transmitting documents from one case to a non-party in another. The stated reason — “interest” — is not a litigation purpose.
Judge Gafkay heard all of this on the record. The UPEPA motion and sanctions motion remain pending.
The Question
This is not an accusation of corruption. It is a question of structural judicial conflict.
Can a judge fairly adjudicate a SLAPP suit against a journalist when:
- She was the adjunct faculty colleague of the plaintiff/attorney for at least six years?
- She simultaneously presides over two other active cases where the same attorney is her lead litigant?
- She holds both sides of a judicial estoppel argument (his contradictory UPEPA positions)?
- She heard on the record that the attorney’s client created domains targeting a child and received court filings about the journalist for the purpose of “interest” — and the motions remain pending?
- Ruling against the attorney in Case 1 could destabilize Cases 2 and 3?
MCR 2.003(C)(1) provides for disqualification when a judge’s impartiality “might reasonably be questioned.” The question is not whether Gafkay is biased — it is whether a reasonable observer, knowing these facts, would question whether she can be impartial.
Sources
- Governor’s appointment: michigan.gov, Apr 26, 2023
- MLive profile: Behind the bench, Jan 26, 2026
- MLive appointment: Apr 26, 2023
- SCBA directory: P53680
- Avvo: Julie A. Gafkay
- LII: Attorney directory
- NAWJ District 7 report: June 2023
- Sova v. Consumers Energy complaint: OLC classactions
- Ellison LinkedIn: SVSU since Aug 2017
- Clutch Justice: He Said His Client “Was Interested,” Aug 3, 2026 · UPEPA Judicial Estoppel, May 7, 2026 · Field Notes, Jun 7, 2026