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August 12, 2007
BY EMILIA ASKARI
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
As a Macomb County probate judge for almost 28 years, James Nowicki was accustomed to making life-and-death decisions.
Once, in the early 1990s, he ruled that an elderly man could refuse food and starve to death rather than continue suffering from debilitating ailments, the retired judge's family recalled Saturday.
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""He was very even-tempered, a superb jurist,"" his wife of 39 years, Carol Nowicki, said Saturday. ""He always tried to help people.""
She recalled the time in the early 1990s when her husband was called out of bed by prosecutors at 1 a.m. on a Sunday to decide whether a dying boy should receive a blood transfusion against the wishes of his parents, whose beliefs as Jehovah's Witnesses prohibited the procedure.
Other judges refused to go to court in the middle of the night to hear the emergency request, his wife said. But Nowicki did. The boy died while the hearing was in progress.
Nowicki, who had two sons, had a soft spot for children, his family says. He kept a jar of lollipops on his bench and offered a sucker to any child who was adopted in his courtroom, or to the parents if the child was too young for such treats.
Born in Hamtramck, Nowicki served for a time as assistant city attorney after earning a law degree from the University of Detroit in 1966.
He also worked as an analyst for the state Legislature before Gov. William Milliken appointed him to be a judge. He retired in 2003.
An avid tent camper, Nowicki was a former district chairman of the Boy Scouts of America and a recipient of its Distinguished Citizen Award.
He served on the boards of the Macomb County Traffic Safety Association and Orchard Lake Schools and was a trustee of St. Mary's College.
In addition to his wife, survivors include sons John and Michael, and two granddaughters.
Visitation is from 2 to 9 p.m. today and Monday at Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons Funeral Home, 36900 Schoenherr, Sterling Heights.
The funeral is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home, followed by an 11 a.m. mass at St. Michael's Catholic Church, 40501 Hayes Road in Sterling Heights.
The body will be cremated.
The family suggests memorial contributions to the Hon. James F. Nowicki Scholarship Fund, John W. Smith Oldtimers Club, 21841 Dequindre, Hazel Park 48030.
Guy
Don't listen to the lie's of DH above. He is mentally warped from abusing prescription drugs and now sues the companies that tried to help him! What a Hippocratic. Just google for yourself and see!
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 7:50 am
DannyHaszard
James Nowicki: Longtime judge would rise to the occasion with an ...
Detroit Free Press, United States -
... whether a dying boy should receive a blood transfusion against the wishes of his parents, whose beliefs as Jehovah's Witnesses prohibited the procedure.
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Judge Nowicki was a bold & brave humanitarian.
Regarding his decisions on Jehovah's Witnesses and lifesaving blood transfusions for children
25% of transfusions are unwarranted meaning that 75% are potential life saving.
90-130 Jehovah's Witnesses children die every year worldwide due to Blood transfusion ban.
1) JW's DO USE many parts aka 'fractions' aka components of blood,so if it's 'sacred' to God why the hypocritical contradiction flip-flop?
2) They USE blood collections that are donated by Red cross and others but don't donate back,more hypocrisy.
3) The Watchtower promotes and praises bloodless elective surgeries,this is a great advancement indeed.BUT it's no good to me if I am bleeding to death from a car crash and lose half my blood volume and need EMERGENCY blood transfusion.
(Some educational links provided below:)
http://www.ajwrb.org/ Jehovah Witness blood policy reform site
http://www.towertotruth.net/Articles/blood_transfusions.htm Will you die for a lie?
Know this,the reason that JW refuse blood is because of their spin on the 3000 year old Biblical old testament,modern medicine will eventually make blood donations and transfusions a thing of the past.When this technology happens it won't vindicate the Jehovah's Witnesses and all the deaths that have occured so far.
The Red Cross in Bangor Maine 'sells' a unit of blood to area hospitals for $175 and it cost $150 to process it the RC makes no profit on blood and would drop it in a heartbeat if it was not life saving.
If your insurance bill says $500 a pint that is what the hospital is overcharging just like it's $30 for a sleeping pill
The Jehovah's Witnesses elders will investigate and disfellowship any JW who takes a blood transfusion,to say the issue is a 'personal conscience matter' is lie to keep the Watchtower out of lawsuits.Rank & file JW's are indoctrinated to be scared to death of blood.
The Watchtower rules Jehovah's Witnesses like the Vatican rules Catholics.The Watchtower's rules against blood transfusions will be abolished (very gradually to reduce wrongful death lawsuit liability) even now most of the blood 'components' are allowed.
In 20 years there will be artificial blood and the Red Cross will go on with other noble deeds.
None of these changes will absolve the Watchtower leaders or vindicate their twisted doctrines
Are there dangers from blood?There are over 500 aspirin deaths in USA yearly.
The Watchtower is a truly Orwellian world,Danny Haszard
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 4:39 am
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