By Manny Marotta

Fix the Court filed a misconduct complaint with the Sixth Circuit today against E.D. Mich. Judge Thomas Ludington citing behavior we believe undermines public confidence in the judiciary and violates the high ethical standards expected of federal judges.

We submitted the complaint after reviewing a police report, body camera footage (at right) and media coverage of an Oct. 3, 2025, incident involving Judge Ludington in which he crashed his car, showed signs of impairment upon police arrival and failed multiple sobriety tests. At the hospital he registered a blood alcohol content well above the legal limit. He was later charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and with a high BAC offense and has pleaded not guilty.

The incident alone should concern anybody, but the follow-up was fumbled spectacularly: Ludington’s crash and arrest were not publicly disclosed for nearly four months and not by the court or the judge but by outside media. During that time, Ludington continued to work on his caseload and receive new case assignments.

Only yesterday did E.D. Michigan announce that Ludington would take a leave of absence pending resolution of the state charges. Our complaint asks the judicial council to determine whether discipline, including a possible push toward retirement, is warranted and to investigate how the incident was kept from the public for so long.

On Feb. 9, we reached out to Sixth Circuit Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton to ask about Ludington’s status and had not heard back at the time we filed our complaint. We also contacted to Ludington’s attorney, with no response.

We filed this complaint because accountability and transparency are necessary to maintaining trust in the federal courts. When judges fail to meet ethical standards, the system must respond with clear and public admonishment.