On August 18, 1933, some of the most infamous hooligans in American crime history turned the streets of Grand Haven into a shooting gallery.  The local Dutch community, including relatives of Judge Buter and perhaps some of your own, said “not in my town”.

Session 1: We will study the historical context which encouraged the epidemic of Depression-era bank robberies throughout the nation. In addition, we will look at a dangerous collection of misfits who planned to bring Grand Haven to its knees, and the good guys who were the targets.

Session 2: We will take a detailed look at the robbery and how a brilliant criminal mastermind was outfoxed by the locals. We will also examine how this robbery impacted Grand Haven as well as the FBI. Finally, we will uncover a little-known legal tragedy involving the “innocent man.”

Subject: history

Judge David Buter is a 1973 graduate of Calvin and a former instructor of Business Law at Calvin. He practiced law in the Kent County Prosecutor’s office as well as the law firm of Bosch, Killman and VanderWal. He served as a Judge in the 61st District Court from 1995-2022, when he retired. He enjoys golf, family activities and sharing the story of The Hollanders and the Hooligans at various institutions.