Michigan

Outspoken Lawyer Geoffrey Fieger Challenges Prosecution Motives

Michigan lawyer Geoffrey Fieger tells the ABA Journal that the indictment accusing him of violating campaign finance laws was part of a Bush administration effort to hurt Democrats. “The intent now is to destroy the firm,” Fieger said, referring to his 18-lawyer personal injury firm, Fieger, Fieger, Kenney, Johnson &…

Nov 28, 2007 7:28 PM CST

Defense Lawyer Seeks Gag, Gets It—Then Talks to Media

After requesting and receiving a gag order from the judge in a high-profile Detroit-area murder trial, a defense lawyer now may have violated it. Whether attorney Stephen Rabaut crossed the line will be clearer after his interview with local Channel 7 about the case is televised, according to the Detroit…

Nov 16, 2007 5:10 PM CST

Lifer Freed in Challenge to Tough Parole Changes

Inmates sentenced to life in prison are filing constitutional challenges to changes in parole procedures that subsequently made it tougher to win early release. In a Michigan case, a Detroit federal judge ruled that such changes violated the ex post facto clause that bars the government from increasing punishments retroactively,…

Nov 12, 2007 12:56 PM CST

Father Loses Appeal Dubbed ‘Roe v. Wade for Men’

A Michigan father who contended he should have the right to decide whether to pay child support has lost his appeal. Men’s rights groups had dubbed the lawsuit a ”Roe v. Wade for men,” drawing objections from women’s rights groups, the Associated Press reports. Matthew Dubay said his ex-girlfriend had…

Nov 7, 2007 1:35 PM CST

Jury Gets Case Against Ex-Prosecutor

Justice Department lawyers told jurors in closing arguments yesterday that former federal prosecutor Richard Convertino withheld evidence from the defense in a high-profile terrorism case because he wanted to win. Justice Department lawyer Eileen Gleason said Convertino and a co-defendant “crossed over the line from upholding the law to violating…

Oct 31, 2007 5:01 PM CDT

Defense Says Terror Prosecutor ‘Overwhelmed,’ Denies Obstructed Justice

A former federal prosecutor accused of obstruction of justice in a high-profile terrorism investigation four years ago declined to testify this week. Prosecutors say Richard Convertino and former U.S. Embassy security agent Ray Smith hid evidence in a 2003 case against four north African men accused of being members of…

Oct 30, 2007 3:22 PM CDT

Reluctant Juror Jailed for Message to Court Officials

A reluctant juror in Michigan has been jailed after he sent court officials a note telling them what he thought of their third jury summons. “I didn’t sign up for this bullshit,” Michael Starrett wrote, according to an article in the Detroit News. “I suggest you find somebody who gives…

Oct 19, 2007 10:39 AM CDT

Ave Maria Profs File Whistle-Blower Suit

Three suspended professors at Ave Maria School of Law have filed a whistle-blower lawsuit against the Catholic institution, its president and dean, and the chairman of its board of governors, among other defendants. It alleges wrongful discharge, breach of contract and tortious interference with advantageous business relationships. Stephen Safranek, Edward…

Oct 19, 2007 3:35 AM CDT

Prosecution of Ex-US Atty Hits Snag

Government lawyers contend in a trial that got under way this week that a former federal prosecutor from Detroit withheld evidence because of his ambition to win a terrorism case. But the case against former U.S. Attorney Richard Convertino hit a snag when a key witness against him admitted he…

Oct 11, 2007 12:37 PM CDT

Prosecutor Charged in Sex Sting Commits Suicide

A federal prosecutor accused of traveling to Detroit to have sex with a 5-year-old girl has committed suicide in prison. J. D. Roy Atchison, a U.S. attorney in Pensacola, killed himself on Friday. He was in a special housing unit for inmates who are segregated for a variety of reasons,…

Oct 8, 2007 10:27 AM CDT

Lawyer Chases BB Gun Assailants

Burton, Mich., lawyer Michael Breczinski chased down two teens who shot him with BB guns in a mall parking lot Tuesday, even as they fired additional shots at him. The first pellet hit Breczinski in the neck below his ear. By the time he tackled one of the teens, he…

Oct 4, 2007 1:07 PM CDT

New Turmoil at Ave Maria

In the latest turmoil at Ave Maria School of Law, the alumni board of directors of the Michigan institution has issued a vote of no confidence in the school’s top leaders. It called—for the second time—for the ouster of the dean and board chairman of the Catholic law school, reports…

Oct 1, 2007 3:35 PM CDT

Lawyer Shells Out Big Bucks for Dating Coach

The dating game is getting so complicated that some people are hiring coaches to help them navigate the process. One person who is willing to pay for such expert advice is Kristen Skaff, a 35-year-old Detroit-area lawyer, the New York Times reports. She attended a dating boot camp in Los…

Sep 27, 2007 6:04 PM CDT

Court Accepts Diabetes Drug Appeal

The U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether Michigan plaintiffs may sue the maker of the diabetes drug Rezulin despite a state law that restricts pharmaceutical suits. The Food and Drug Administration asked that the drug be removed from the market after concerns arose that it caused liver damage in some…

Sep 25, 2007 3:21 PM CDT

Prosecutor Charged in Sex Sting Tries Suicide

A federal prosecutor arrested in a child sex sting tried to hang himself in jail early today. John David Roy Atchison was accused of flying to the Detroit area to have sex with a 5-year-old girl. His suicide attempt comes one day after he assured a judge he would not…

Sep 20, 2007 5:18 PM CDT