Michigan

Jury Acquits Firebrand Fieger of Campaign Charges

Federal jurors in Detroit have found high-profile and controversial lawyer Geoffrey Fieger not guilty of violating campaign finance laws. The Michigan trial lawyer was accused of illegally funneling $127,000 in 2004 to the campaign of then-presidential candidate John Edwards. The Associated Press reports that jurors heard 18 days of testimony…

Jun 2, 2008 7:22 PM CDT

Ruling Castigates 35-Year Mich. Judge; Defense Costs Top $100K

After a scathing report from a special master reviewing his judicial discipline case, a longtime Michigan jurist is digging in for a longer-term battle to retain his seat on the bench. The controversial discipline case pits Rockford District Judge Steven Servaas, 62, who has been on the bench for 35…

May 16, 2008 5:23 PM CDT

Woman’s Suit Against Judge Who Asked Her to Remove Veil Gets Tossed

A federal judge in Detroit has dismissed a woman’s lawsuit against a small claims judge who asked her to remove her veil. The woman, Ginnnah Muhammad, had claimed Judge Paul Paruk of Hamtramck unconstitutionally interfered with her right to practice religion and violated a civil rights law requiring access to…

May 13, 2008 4:53 PM CDT

Ex-Prosecutor Acquitted at Trial Loses Bid for Attorney Fees

A federal judge has denied a former federal prosecutor’s request for legal fees after his acquittal for withholding evidence. Former prosecutor Richard Convertino had sought legal fees from the Justice Department, claiming its prosecution of him was “vexatious, frivolous or in bad faith.” The government had unsuccessfully prosecuted Convertino on…

May 9, 2008 1:50 PM CDT

Appeals Court Tosses Fieger Suit Against State AG

Lawyer Geoffrey Fieger’s vindictive-prosecution lawsuit against Michigan Attorney General Michael Cox won’t be heard in federal court. The Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals tossed the lawsuit and affirmed a federal trial court’s order requiring Fieger to pay attorney fees as a sanction for making unsupported allegations against another…

May 6, 2008 4:20 PM CDT

Gerry Spence Warms Up Jurors, Even If He Is a Bit Grumpy

Well-known trial lawyer Gerry Spence, coaxed out of semi-retirement to represent Geoffrey Fieger on charges of making illegal campaign contributions, has attracted several lawyers to the trial who want to see him in action. So many came, in fact, that several observers had to be turned away. Those who got…

May 2, 2008 2:49 PM CDT

Learning the Hard Way

Michael Burke lost his freedom and his license to practice. But along the way, he learned some important truths about himself and the law. He’s not alone.

May 1, 2008 1:00 PM CDT

Sex, Lies and Text Messages: Mich. Judge Makes Legal Memo Public

Seldom has a legal memorandum apparently been read with such interest by so many. Reportedly retrieved by a forensic expert from the computer of Mike Stefani, a plaintiffs lawyer in Detroit police whistle-blower cases, an 18-page legal memorandum that allegedly led immediately to a controversial $8.4 million settlement by the…

Apr 30, 2008 5:54 PM CDT

Judge Considers Suit Against Judge Who Asked Woman to Remove Her Veil

A federal judge in Detroit is considering whether a Muslim woman may sue a small claims court judge who asked her to remove her veil. The woman, Ginnnah Muhammad, claims Judge Paul Paruk of Hamtramck unconstitutionally interfered with her right to practice religion and violated a civil rights law requiring…

Apr 30, 2008 4:44 PM CDT

Fieger Firm Lawyer Says Agents Played ‘Good Cop, Bad Cop’

A lawyer in Geoffrey Fieger’s law firm testified yesterday that federal agents came to his home under the guise of serving a subpoena, but then tried to get him to reveal damaging information about the law firm leader. Lawyer Paul Broschay said agents played a game of “good cop, bad…

Apr 29, 2008 5:53 PM CDT

Hot Doc Found at Law Firm in $8.4M Detroit Settlement Flap

A critical legal document that led almost instantaneously to an $8.4 million city settlement of two Detroit police whistle-blower cases reportedly has been found on a plaintiffs lawyer’s computer and is to be discussed tomorrow in court. Now at issue in an ongoing controversy over the handling of the settlement,…

Apr 28, 2008 10:50 PM CDT

Naming Rights Don’t Sell for $20M, So Ave Maria Scraps New Building Plan

Plans for a posh new building in for Ave Maria School of Law have reportedly been scrapped after administrators apparently failed to sell naming rights for $20 million as they had hoped. Instead, the Catholic law school will move to an existing building in Naples, Fla., when it relocates from…

Apr 28, 2008 6:51 PM CDT

Mich. Judge Lied Under Oath, Should Be Dismissed, Panel Says

A Michigan judge lied under oath during her own divorce and submitted fake documents in her judicial ethics case, a nine-member state panel contends. The Judicial Tenure Commission has recommended that Beverley Nettles-Nickerson be removed from the Ingham County Circuit Court bench and required to pay the $128,000 cost of…

Apr 23, 2008 6:01 PM CDT

$7.4 M Legal Bill Stuns Officials in Mich. Girls Sports Season Case

Officials at the Michigan High School Athletic Association are still reeling, weeks after a federal judge awarded $7.4 million in legal fees to the prevailing plaintiff in a 10-year-old case contending that Michigan’s sports seasons discriminated against girls. Now, saying that an award of prejudgment interest, in particular, came as…

Apr 22, 2008 7:53 PM CDT

Littler Absorbs Boutique, Opens in Detroit

Labor and employment powerhouse Littler Mendelson is continuing its Midwest expansion by opening an office in Detroit. More than 700 lawyers strong, Littler is making the move by absorbing the boutique firm DeWitt, Balke & Vincent, according to a release. “This addition to Littler will significantly enhance our ability to…

Apr 22, 2008 2:40 PM CDT