Michigan

Two bailiffs die in courthouse shooting in Michigan; suspect is shot and killed

Updated: Police are investigating a shooting at the Berrien County Courthouse in St. Joseph, Michigan, on Monday afternoon that left three people dead, including the suspect. Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey said at a news conference that the gunman killed two bailiffs on the third floor of the courthouse, the…

Jul 11, 2016 3:09 PM CDT

Judge who detained kids for refusing interactions with dad committed misconduct, special master says

A Michigan judge who initially sent three children to juvenile detention for refusing to interact with their dad committed several acts of judicial misconduct, a special master has found. The judge, Lisa Gorcyca, had acted in a “long, complex and very acrimonious” divorce case that had been pending before her…

Jul 5, 2016 4:30 PM CDT

Michigan suit accuses two companies of giving negligent advice on Flint water

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has sued a water company and an engineering firm, along with five related companies, for their alleged role in the Flint water crisis. The suit filed on Wednesday says the companies were hired for their expertise, but as a result of the companies’ negligence, “Flint’s…

Jun 22, 2016 11:51 AM CDT

Suspect acquitted in shooting of federal judge gets stiff sentence on related charges

A Detroit man acquitted on a charge of assault with intent to murder in the shooting of a federal judge has received a lengthy prison sentence for related crimes. Judge Timothy Kenny sentenced Kevin Andre Smith Jr. on Wednesday for firearms offenses and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. He was…

Jun 8, 2016 12:40 PM CDT

Man is acquitted of shooting assault on federal judge, but convicted on lesser counts

A Michigan jury has acquitted a 23-year-old man on charges that he robbed and assaulted with intent to murder a federal judge. The judge was shot outside his Detroit home last year, in what appears to have been a random robbery. However, Kevin Andre Smith Jr., 23, was convicted Tuesday…

May 24, 2016 1:50 PM CDT

Coffeemaker win lacks perk for lawyer who asked for $180K in fees but got $6,800

Plaintiff Pamella Montgomery still gets the $250 settlement she was promised after a more than two-year legal battle with Kraft Foods Global Inc. and Starbucks Corp. over her purchase of a single-serve coffee maker. But the Michigan woman’s lawyer is receiving $6,800 in attorney fees and costs rather than the…

May 16, 2016 5:02 PM CDT

Federal judge testifies about being shot on his front porch

A federal judge who was shot last year on his front porch at his Detroit home testified Tuesday at the trial of the accused shooter. U.S. District Judge Terrence Berg said he couldn’t positively identify the suspect, 23-year-old Kevin Andre Smith Jr., but described what the shooter looked like, what…

May 11, 2016 12:00 PM CDT

Federal judge who drank Flint water steps aside in case over replacing city’s lead water pipes

A federal judge who drank the water while temporarily assigned to work in a Flint, Michigan, courthouse over a four-month period in 2014 has recused himself from a lawsuit concerning the supply pipeline. U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith, who currently sits in Detroit, said he has no bias against the…

May 4, 2016 1:30 PM CDT

Wayne State law dean runs Boston Marathon in just over 6 hours, while 8 months pregnant

It took Jocelyn Benson more than six hours to complete the Boston Marathon this year, more than double the time of the fastest female runners. But, unlike the Wayne State University law dean, they presumably weren’t eight months pregnant. Benson, 38, qualified for the Boston Marathon by completing the San…

Apr 22, 2016 4:37 PM CDT

Drunken driving in one’s own driveway is not a crime, state appeals court rules

It all began with a noise complaint from neighbors one day in May 2014. Police visited the suburban Detroit home in question and determined that a resident had been drinking inside. Then he came outside and got into his Cadillac to listen to the music on the vehicle’s sound system.…

Apr 22, 2016 3:35 PM CDT

3 officials charged in connection with Flint drinking-water crisis

Two state regulators and a city utility official have been charged with evidence-tampering and other alleged crimes in connection with the poisoning of Flint, Mich.’s water supply. The charges were authorized Wednesday by Flint District Court Judge Tracy Collier-Nix, CNN and the Detroit Free Press report. Michigan Attorney General Bill…

Apr 20, 2016 1:30 PM CDT

Off-duty time with Legal Eagles recreational hockey team set lawyer on path to become an NHL coach

The career path that made former public defender Jon Cooper the coach of a National Hockey League team was a convoluted trajectory. At first, after graduating from college, he worked on Wall Street for Prudential Securities. Then, wanting to become a sports agent, he went to Western Michigan University’s Thomas…

Apr 19, 2016 1:50 PM CDT

Judge denies lawyer’s motion to withdraw from representing client who calls him Satan

A man who opted to represent himself at trial in an aggravated stalking case after firing three lawyers had his conviction reversed on appeal last year because the judge didn’t warn him on the record about the danger of doing so. Now, Anthony McCrory is seeking a new attorney, arguing…

Apr 12, 2016 4:05 PM CDT

University of Michigan Law School produces most influential federal judges, analysis finds

The University of Michigan Law School has produced the most influential federal judges, according to a new analysis. The study by legal analytics firm Ravel Law looked at the number of opinions written by federal judges over the last 80 years and the number of times the opinions were cited,…

Apr 1, 2016 11:57 AM CDT

Judge accused of embezzling $4K as prosecutor expected to return to bench after no-contest plea

A suspended Michigan judge facing an embezzlement case over $4,000 in funds he allegedly misspent while serving as a county prosecutor has accepted a plea deal that is expected to put him back on the bench. Originally charged with five felonies, Lapeer Circuit Judge Byron Konschuh pleaded no contest to…

Mar 31, 2016 5:00 PM CDT