Michigan

Charged in cop assault, man slapped security officer at courthouse en route to hearing, sheriff says

Headed to court in downtown Detroit on Friday morning along with a social worker, Deandre Wilson made it through a security screening without incident. But then, after he put his coat back on, the 29-year-old allegedly turned around before exiting the screening area and slapped a Wayne County sheriff’s deputy,…

Jan 5, 2015 11:55 AM CST

Cooley law school seeks to sell a building in downtown Lansing

Western Michigan University’s Thomas M. Cooley Law School is looking for a buyer willing to pay $8.15 million for a building it owns in downtown Lansing. Cooley has owned the seven-story building, the former Masonic Temple, since 1974, the Lansing State Journal reports. The building is mostly vacant after the…

Dec 24, 2014 10:37 AM CST

Suit claims client fired law firm because of bias against Arab American partner

A suit filed by a Detroit law firm claims it was fired and inadequately paid by a corporate client because of national-origin discrimination by a corporate executive. The suit filed by Corbet, Shaw, Essad, Tucciarone & Bonasso alleges that an employee of Vanguard Health Systems, which owned the Detroit Medical…

Dec 22, 2014 8:28 AM CST

‘Tis the season for lawsuits over holiday displays

A Florida city began litigating in February over the expected holiday display extravaganza at the Plantation Acres home of Mark and Kathy Hyatt, who were featured last year in The Great Christmas Light Fight but lost the $50,000 contest to a family in Georgia. Nonetheless, the case is still ongoing…

Dec 19, 2014 4:10 PM CST

Ethics trial continues for judge claimed to be delusional, even after she announces her retirement

An embattled Detroit judge who says she has already been suspended without pay, for the third time, announced Tuesday that she will retire from the bench. But the trial of legal ethics charges against 36th District Judge Brenda Sanders that began Monday will continue, the judge hearing the case said.…

Dec 11, 2014 5:50 PM CST

Man who pleaded no contest in lawyer’s shooting is sentenced along with two co-defendants

Corrected: Three defendants accused in an attempted home invasion and shooting that wounded a Michigan lawyer were sentenced on Monday. Judge Martha Anderson of Oakland County sentenced the defendants on Monday after they pleaded no contest to the charges, report the Detroit News and the Oakland Press. The lawyer, David…

Dec 10, 2014 11:32 AM CST

Judge is a no-show at legal ethics trial over claims she has psychotic delusions

Updated: A Detroit judge has declined to attend a legal ethics trial that began Monday over allegations that she has psychotic delusions and improperly claimed a medical disability to get leave. Relying on a letter sent by 36th District Judge Brenda Sanders to the local U.S. Attorney and a diagnosis…

Dec 8, 2014 1:44 PM CST

Huge power outage closes Detroit courts and many other buildings

A high-profile murder trial was abruptly put on hold Tuesday as the lights in Detroit’s Frank Murphy Hall of Justice flickered and went out. It was just one of 100 buildings affected by a massive cable failure that shut down power to all Detroit Public Lighting customers around 10:30 a.m.,…

Dec 2, 2014 3:50 PM CST

Tax attorney will accept Bitcoin payments, but won’t take digital currency on retainer

A Michigan business and tax lawyer has announced that he will take Bitcoin payments from clients, but will not accept the digital currency on retainer. The reason for the distinction is that Bitcoin is more like property than money, Donald Katz explains to MLive.com. He operates his own law firm…

Nov 19, 2014 4:10 PM CST

Law grad convicted of concealing Israel bombings conviction to get US citizenship

A 67-year-old law graduate and community activist has been found guilty of failing to reveal on U.S. immigration paperwork a 1970 bombings-related military conviction in Israel regarding a fatal supermarket attack in order to get American citizenship. Rasmieh Yousef Odeh, who was released by Israel after serving 10 years and…

Nov 10, 2014 1:20 PM CST

Sightless disability lawyer wins supreme court bid with hugs and ‘blind justice’ campaign slogan

Corrected: A disability lawyer who won election to the Michigan Supreme Court last Tuesday will become the state’s first blind state high court justice. Richard Bernstein funded his campaign with $2 million, paying for commercials in which he allied himself with “the people” and used a “blind justice” campaign slogan,…

Nov 10, 2014 5:45 AM CST

6th Circuit upholds same-sex marriage bans in 4 states; will issue now go to US Supreme Court?

For the first time, a federal appeals court has refused to recognize a constitution-based right of same-sex couples to marry, creating a circuit split and setting the issue up for likely U.S. Supreme Court review. In a 2-1 decision (PDF) on Thursday, the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals…

Nov 6, 2014 4:45 PM CST

Federal suit over coffee machine bought at Starbucks settles for $250, but lawyer could get $175K

A Michigan woman who sued Starbucks and Kraft Foods over promotional claims made about a single-serve Kraft coffeemaker sold at Starbucks shops has settled for $250 after a 2½-year federal court battle. But the plaintiff’s legal counsel will get attorney fees under the deal, which are estimated at nearly $175,000,…

Oct 29, 2014 4:05 PM CDT

Ex-partner says he loved Geoffrey Fieger like a brother but couldn’t work with him

Litigation between two top Michigan trial lawyers has been settled on undisclosed terms, and the ex-partners are continuing to try high-profile cases in separate law firms. However, one of the two, Vernon “Ven” Johnson, agreed to sit down with the Detroit Free Press, after the final settlement papers were signed,…

Oct 28, 2014 12:35 PM CDT

Lawyer who didn’t share client payments with his partners is disbarred

Reversing an earlier decision to suspend a prominent Muskegon, Michigan, criminal defense attorney for two years for misappropriating client payments that should have been shared with his law partners, the state’s Attorney Disciplinary Board has revoked his license to practice. That means Shawn P .Davis will have to wait at…

Oct 24, 2014 5:15 PM CDT