'Shirtless Judge' And His Wife Spend Time In Courtroom Hot Seat

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) The scandal unfolding against Wayne County Judge Wade McCree engulfed his wife Tuesday when LaVerne McCree was called to the stand to discuss her husband's affair with a woman who appeared in his courtroom -- and his actions after his wife found out about it.

The judge himself took the stand just before lunch, where he started off by explaining his role in the child support case between his girlfriend Geniene La'Shay Mott and the father of her child that evolved into her relationship with the judge. "I lusted after this woman," McCree testified, adding he and Mott had light conversation when she appeared in court and made a casual lunch appointment.

"She certainly was coming onto me with an ease that surprised me, thrilled me, women this young don't talk to me like this ... I was flattered, I was attracted to her," McCree said. He described their relationship as volatile, saying she had episodes of "homicidal anger" and the two were in regular conflict over him not spending enough time with her. Mott eventually outed their relationship to the media.

The Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission hearing for McCree, which is expected to last several days, began Monday with searing testimony from the judge's former girlfriend who said they had sex in his chambers numerous times. Mott also produced text messages showing the judge mocking defendants in his courtroom.

Mott disclosed an affair with McCree in December, saying the two kicked off their relationship when she took an ex-boyfriend to court and she and the judge in the case starting exchanging flirty texts. The judge allegedly told her she could pick her ex's punishment, urged her to have an abortion when she became pregnant last fall, and tried to pay her off.

A very pregnant Mott was the star of the courtroom show Monday, reading aloud text messages between herself and the judge where they exchanged messages about their burgeoning romance — and the inner workings of the court.

LaVerne McCree was in the hot seat Tuesday, testifying the divorce proceedings between herself and Wade McCree were an elaborate ruse to convince Mott to have an abortion after she allegedly became pregnant with the judge's child. LaVerne McCree produced texts showing Mott refused to act on the abortion until she was convinced the judge was leaving his wife.

LaVerne McCree went along with it, she testified.

LaVerne McCree testified Mott came to her house shortly after her husband revealed the affair and started pounding on the family's door. She said she sent her teenage children to the basement. McCree testified when he revealed his affair, told her his relationship with Mott was already over. LaVerne McCree was asked to read aloud in court a series of texts between Mott and her husband from late last year that seemed to reveal their relationship was ongoing.

WWJ's legal analyst Charlie Langton said Judge Wade McCree's attorney told the courtroom he suffers from hypomania, a type of bipolar disorder, which according to WebMD is characterized by "excessive energy, little need for sleep and unusual exhilaration."

In one text, the judge referenced former councilwoman Monica Conyers appearing in his courtroom with the same "ignorant sh** as usual."

The judge allegedly sent her a lighthearted message about a blind court defendant accused of stealing a car, writing, "WTF?" at the end. In another incident, he texted her that a child support defendant in his courtroom at that moment was a "worthless MF."

He also texted Mott about her "fineness" while saying he was on the bench, adding he "loved kissing her" and couldn't wait to perform sexual acts with her.

Mott testified Monday that she wanted McCree to divorce his wife and gave him the option of breaking off their relationship "four or five times." LaVerne Mott read a document in court from her husband describing their 25-year union as a "marriage of convenience."

"In the end, he had to choose between me and his wife," Mott said. "I said if he didn't get the divorce, he loses me."

After the revelation, he was placed on leave and then suspended without pay in February.

The commission says McCree lied during the agency's ethics investigation and falsely reported to prosecutors that Mott was stalking him.

McCree's attorney, Brian Einhorn, has said the judge shouldn't lose his job. Mott refused over and over to reveal the father of the baby with which she's now pregnant, with Einhorn pushing her to answer and her saying over and over it wasn't relevant to the case.

The state Supreme Court reprimanded McCree last year, before Mott emerged, after he sent a shirtless photo of himself to a female court employee. He famously said, "Ain't no shame in my game," when a TV news crew confronted him with the photo.