6th Circuit Court

Feds catch up with 3rd man who jumped bond just before guilty verdict in major Detroit drug trial

It took a little over a month, but federal marshals have now caught up with all three of the men who jumped bond just before the guilty verdict in a major Detroit drug trial. Earnest Proge Jr., 38, was taken into custody Wednesday night in the basement of a home…

Jun 19, 2014 5:45 PM CDT

6th Circuit reverses $338K libel verdict for ex-Bengals cheerleader against website

A federal appeals court has reversed a $338,000 libel verdict awarded to a former Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader. Allegations made on TheDirty.com about Sarah Jones were indeed defamatory, the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in its Monday opinion (PDF). However, the company that operates the gossip site and…

Jun 16, 2014 10:05 PM CDT

2 defendants who skipped guilty verdict in federal drug case found with $760K; 3rd remains at large

Corrected: A month after three defendants in a major Detroit drug trial skipped the verdict on May 12, two have been captured with $760,000 in cash. But the third man, Earnest Proge, apparently remains at large. Kingpin Carlos Powell, 39, was taken into custody in the basement of a St.…

Jun 13, 2014 1:58 PM CDT

Hospital to pay feds $40.9M for unnecessary heart surgeries; more than 500 patient suits are ongoing

A Kentucky hospital has agreed to pay the federal government a record $40.9 million to settle civil claims over what the government describes as unnecessary heart procedures billed to Medicare and Medicaid. The settlement by King’s Daughters Medical Center announced Wednesday does not resolve more than 500 civil suits by…

May 28, 2014 10:30 PM CDT

Feds still seek 3 men who jumped bond before guilty verdict in drug case, offer $5K reward per man

Three men who appeared in federal court in Detroit on Monday morning in a major drug case but jumped bond that afternoon just before their guilty verdicts were read are still at large. The U.S. Marshals service is offering a reward of up to $5,000 per man for information leading…

May 13, 2014 10:30 PM CDT

Feds seek 3 men who went AWOL just before guilty verdict in major drug case

Apparently aware that their case wasn’t going well, three defendants in a major drug case in Detroit appeared in federal court Monday at the conclusion of a two-week trial but skipped out before the guilty verdict was read. A manhunt is underway for Carlos Powell, 39, Eric Powell, 36, and…

May 12, 2014 9:40 PM CDT

In wake of $16.6M bill, judge asks Jones Day to explain disclosure of confidential Detroit docs

Updated: A federal bankruptcy judge asked Jones Day during a Monday court hearing to explain why some 120 confidential documents about closed-door mediation sessions were sent on computer disks to creditors of the mega-firm’s client, the city of Detroit, along with documents the creditors were supposed to receive. Partner Geoff…

May 12, 2014 4:30 PM CDT

Gossip website’s appeal of ex-cheerleader’s defamation verdict watched closely by Internet giants

A federal appellate court heard oral arguments in a closely watched case that could have huge implications for Internet-based speech. The Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Court of Appeals heard arguments Thursday in a defamation case originally brought by a Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader against a gossip blog known as The Dirty, the…

May 2, 2014 7:33 PM CDT

Work attendance can mean telecommuting, 6th Circuit says in reasonable accommodation case

Attendance at work is an essential part of many jobs, but it can’t be assumed to mean an actual presence at a physical site, the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently found in an Americans with Disabilities Act reasonable accommodation case. The action was brought by the Equal…

Apr 24, 2014 10:53 PM CDT

Scalia uses ‘Ministry of Truth’ example from Orwell book as SCOTUS mulls Ohio law on political lies

The U.S. Supreme Court is only being asked to decide whether an anti-abortion group has standing in federal district court to challenge an Ohio law that criminalizes political lies. But members of the nation’s top court on Tuesday couldn’t resist offering a preview of what they think about the constitutionality…

Apr 23, 2014 4:05 PM CDT

Detroit newspaper wins right to publish mug shots of criminal defendants in federal court

A federal judge has held that the U.S. Marshals Service must turn over the mug shots of four Detroit-area police officers awaiting trial on public corruption charges to the Detroit Free Press. But U.S. District Judge Patrick Duggan, in a 34-page ruling Monday, stayed his decision pending an expected appeal…

Apr 22, 2014 7:40 PM CDT

Retired federal appeals judge won’t be charged in probe of travel expenses

Retired federal appeals judge Boyce Martin Jr. won’t be charged following a Justice Department probe of his travel expenses, according to a spokesperson for Martin. The Justice Department has completed its review and “will not be pursuing the matter,” the spokesperson, Claire Parker, told the Louisville Courier-Journal and the Cincinnati…

Mar 31, 2014 3:03 PM CDT

Hundreds of gay couples get married in Michigan before 6th Circuit stays judge’s ruling

Hundreds of same-sex couples got married in Michigan on Saturday in four counties where clerks held special weekend hours after a judge overturned the state’s ban on gay marriage on Friday. The Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put an end to the festivities late Saturday afternoon when it…

Mar 24, 2014 1:40 PM CDT

Detroit runs up $13.7M bill in first 75 days of bankruptcy case

Downtown Detroit. Image from Shutterstock. The $13.7 million bill for legal fees, other professional fees and expenses that the city of Detroit ran up during the first 75 days of its record-breaking municipal bankruptcy case was “substantial,” a court-appointed examiner said in a quarterly report. However, the expense was also…

Feb 5, 2014 5:00 PM CST

Feds oppose former state supreme court judge’s effort to win early release from ‘Camp Cupcake’

The feds are opposing a retired Michigan Supreme Court justice’s bid for early release from her one-year sentence for bank fraud. Prosecutors say Diane Hathaway hasn’t met legal requirements for re-sentencing, which call for a showing of clear error or illegality, the Detroit News reports. However, Hathaway, 59, points to…

Feb 4, 2014 9:45 PM CST