Michigan

Michigan Chief Justice Loses in Stunning Upset

The conservative chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court has lost a battle for re-election after an ad funded by the state Democratic Party accused him of falling asleep during a case, a charge he denied. Chief Justice Clifford Taylor lost to challenger Diane Hathaway in a “stunning upset,” the…

Nov 5, 2008 4:41 PM CST

Detroit Mayor Jailed, Will Lose Law License—and Is Still Under Investigation

After his sentencing yesterday in Wayne County Circuit Court, a former Detroit mayor characterized by Judge David Groner as “arrogant and defiant” began serving concurrent 120-day jail terms for obstruction of justice and assaulting a sheriff’s officer trying to serve a subpoena. Kwame Kilpatrick also signed an agreement that he…

Oct 29, 2008 5:36 PM CDT

Funeral Home Eviction Issue: What to Do With the Bodies?

A recent eviction at a business in Pontiac, Mich., posed some unusual issues for officials responsible for emptying the premises. That’s because the business was a funeral home, and among the items that had to be removed were five bodies and the cremated remains of 22 others, reports the Detroit…

Oct 27, 2008 6:12 PM CDT

200 Text Messages to be Released in Detroit Obstruction Case

A Michigan appeals court has declined to block the release of some 200 text messages at the heart of a criminal case against former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s ex-chief of staff. Judge Timothy Kenny intends to keep some of the messages under seal because they involve communications between the parties…

Oct 22, 2008 9:58 PM CDT

Minority Enrollment Drop at U-M Law ‘Not a Tragedy’

Since it began using a race-blind admissions process after voters passed Prop. 2 in 2006, the University of Michigan has seen an 8 percent drop in minority enrollment. But statewide, the numbers are actually on the rise. This according to a Detroit News analysis of statewide admission numbers. The paper…

Oct 21, 2008 9:05 PM CDT

Detroit Law Firm Entices Seminar Participants with Free Gas

Lawyers at Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone know what people want: free fuel. The Detroit law firm, which is hosting a labor and employment law seminar Oct. 23, is giving away $10 gas cards to prepaid registrants, the National Law Journal (sub. req.) reports. More than 200 people have signed…

Oct 21, 2008 7:26 PM CDT

Michigan Attorney Abuzz About Bees

A Michigan lawyer doesn’t have to worry about finding a hobby to occupy her spare time. She and her domestic partner often are busy with the bees they keep on a 61-acre farm they own in Isabella County. Attorney Toni Sessoms, who practices in Mt. Pleasant, harvested some 25 pounds…

Oct 13, 2008 5:41 PM CDT

What Recession? Mich. County’s Pagers Will Let Potential Jurors Shop

No-shows for jury duty could soon be much less of a problem in one Michigan county, which plans to distribute pagers in the near future so that potential jurors can shop at downtown stores while they are waiting to be called into a courtroom. The new system will require prospective…

Oct 9, 2008 10:13 PM CDT

Detroit Shutters Crime Lab with ‘Absolutely Shocking’ Error Rate

A Michigan State Police audit released Thursday reportedly exposed extensive problems with the Detroit Police firearms lab and prompted officials there to shutter the entire crime lab. State police began their evaluation of the lab in June after firearms evidence in a case was found to be tainted. The problems,…

Sep 26, 2008 3:54 PM CDT

Sodomizing a Sheep Doesn’t Put Perp on Michigan Sex Offender List

Despite a trend toward recognizing limited animal rights on the estate planning front, a Michigan appeals court has taken a traditional view of the law concerning a man convicted of sodomizing a sheep. Jeffrey Scott Haynes, 45, a habitual offender who is serving a 2½- to 20-year prison term for…

Sep 25, 2008 6:54 PM CDT

No LSAT Allowed in Michigan Law School’s Special Admissions Program

University of Michigan undergrads interested in applying at the university’s law school for the 2010 term won’t have to take the Law School Admissions Test, and they won’t have to pay an application fee. The school has announced a new “Wolverine Scholars Program” in which the school will consider Michigan…

Sep 25, 2008 1:43 PM CDT

Mom Gets Probation for ‘76 Escape, Will Fight Prior Michigan Drug Conviction

Arrested earlier this year after more than 30 years on the lam, a California woman today was sentenced to probation for escaping a Michigan prison in 1976, a little over one year into a 10- to 20-year term for selling heroin. However, Susan LeFevre, 53, must still serve out the…

Sep 24, 2008 7:44 PM CDT

Detroit Text Messages Reviewed in Tort Case Over Exotic Dancer’s Death

Text messages sent and received by Detroit police and other city employees on the day that an exotic dancer was murdered in a drive-by shooting were delivered today to the federal courthouse. If they are found to be relevant to the killing of Tamara Greene, they are likely to become…

Sep 19, 2008 8:33 PM CDT

‘Stealing Buddha’s Dinner’ a Must-Read at One Michigan Law Firm

Stealing Buddha’s Dinner probably isn’t a book you’d expect to see on the desks of most lawyers. But it’s a common sight at one 200-attorney Michigan law firm that has launched a “one book, one firm” reading group. Overseen by Rodney Martin, a partner at Warner Norcross & Judd who…

Sep 18, 2008 3:36 PM CDT

Meet Detroit’s New Deputy Mayor, Ex-Prosecutor Saul Green

Still reeling from months of controversy over Detroit’s former mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, who resigned earlier this month after agreeing to a plea deal in a perjury case, the city apparently can expect a focus on law and order under the city’s new chief operating officer. Incoming Detroit Mayor Ken Cockrel…

Sep 17, 2008 8:23 PM CDT