After His Inquiries, Freep's M.L. Elrick Says Wayne County Juvenile Court Referee Was Fired

Daniel Mercier

Attorney Daniel Mercier, who in 2024 finished last in the race for Wayne County Probate Court judge, was hired earlier this month as a juvenile court referee — a job that pays between $102,000 and $140,000 a year. His job is to hear cases and make recommendations.

But the problem, according to a column last week by Detroit Free Press investigative columnist M.L. Elrick, is that Mercier has a pretty shady past.

Elrick reported that three women had accused Mercier of beating them; two states found him unfit to be a lawyer; he was charged with driving away from an accident, but cut a deal and copped to careless driving; he was sued for unpaid bills, and the state of Michigan twice put liens on his properties for unpaid income taxes.

Elrick reports in his latest Sunday column that after inquiring on Friday, Feb. 20, about Mercier’s appointment to the court, Mercier was fired that same day.

Elrick goes on to write: 

When I contacted Wayne County Circuit Court officials last week to ask how and why they hired someone with such an, er, unorthodox resume, a spokesman told me on Friday, Feb. 20 only that the court "posts its jobs" and "an internal hiring committee reviews applications and oversees the process of filling open positions until an offer is accepted."

It's possible my call caused court officials to review Mercier's record. Or maybe they were concerned about how you might feel about their decision to hire a well-connected lawyer once deemed such a liar that the state of Florida wouldn't let him practice law. Whatever the reason, on the same day Wayne County court officials declined to answer my questions, they asked the state court administrator to let them fire Mercier.

Elrick writes that a source told him on Friday, Feb. 20 — the day he inquired about Mercier — that Mercier was fired. But he said the court “gave me a non-denial denial,” so he decided to write his Sunday, Feb. 22, column as if Mercier was still working for the court.  

This week’s column clarified the chronology of what transpired.

Mercier did not respond to Elrick’s request for comment.