Michigan judicial news

From Judgepedia

News about or affecting the judiciary in Michigan.

Michigan Supreme Court suspends two judges

Michigan: The Michigan Supreme Court announced on January 28, that two judges, Judge Brenda Karen Sanders and Judge Charles C. Nebel will both be suspended without pay. Sanders, of the 26th Judicial District was reprimanded for running for mayor of the city of Detroit while being a judge and soliciting campaign contributions. Nebel, of the Alger/Schoolcraft County Probate Court, Michigan, was suspended for driving after drinking. Their suspension are 21 days and 90 days, respectively.^[1]

Supreme Court refuses to close waterways

Michigan: On Tuesday, January 19 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled against closing navigation locks near Chicago as per a request by the state of Michigan. Michigan requested the closure as an attempt to protect the Great Lakes from approaching Asian carp that have been heading there for nearly 2 decades. Both the Obama administration and the state of Illinois opposed the request saying the action should not be taken until the Army Corps of Engineers releases a report, due September of 2010, detailing possible ways to stop the threat.

The state of Michigan is now looking to file a lawsuit against the state of Illinois, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. ^[1]

Federal judge conducts initial apperance for suspect of the attempted terror plot in Detroit

Ann Arbor, Michigan: Eastern District of Michigan federal judge Paul Borman on December 26, 2009, conducted the initial appearance for 23 year old Nigerian national Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in a conference room of the University of Michigan Medical Center^[1].

Abdulmutallab was read the charges during the appearance over the attempted Christmas day terrorist attack on Northwest Airlines Flight 253. The flight was flying from Amsterdam, Netherlands to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. The attempted attack happened during the flight's descent into the Detroit Area^[1].

The next court appearance for Abdulmutallab is scheduled on January 8, 2010 in which a bond hearing is conducted^[1].

Detroit Police Department consent decree ruling

Michigan: On July 16, 2009, Judge Julian Cook called the Detroit Police Department into his courtroom to express his criticism towards the department on compliance with two consent decrees issued in 2003. He stated: "I have called this open session of the court because of my extreme displeasure with the progress that has been made."

In 2003, Cook issued a decree ordering federal monitoring for the Wayne County Jail after the Detroit Police was found liable for using excessive force on and violating the civil rights of prisoners. The City of Detroit pays $2 million annually for the federal monitoring. However, Judge Cook called the Detroit Police's compliance towards the consent decree "grossly inadequate." The Department has achieved only 39 percent compliance with the order. Cook criticized the Detroit Police for wasting taxpayer dollars as he felt that, "millions being spent on a federal monitor could better be spent on education and other ways to help the city."

Representatives for the Detroit Police informed Judge Cook that the department had plans to shift the responsibility of handling prisoners to the Wayne County Sheriffs Office. The Wayne County Board of Supervisors voted against the plan to handle prisoners after Judge Cook's order 2003 was issued. The Detroit Police will ask the Wayne County Board to approve the plan in order to be compliant with Judge Cook's 2003 order. ^[1]

PDA's forbidden for Michigan jurors

Michigan: The Michigan Supreme Court has issued a directive barring the use of PDA's by jurors during trials. The ruling will take effect September 1, 2009.

The ruling was issued in response to prosecutorial complaints that members of juries were distracted by their cellphones, Blackberries, and iPhones, and in some cases even looking up information about the case while participating in the jury, which has the potential to lead to a mistrial.

"Wouldn't common sense suggest that's wrong? 'I don't think jurors go out and Google stuff thinking it's wrong. Sometimes it just doesn't click,' said Charles Koop, immediate past president of the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, which pushed for the new rule." ^[1]

Lawyers poll:Thomas best pick for state high court, The Michigan Citizen

(7/28/08) According to The Michigan Citizen, (self-described as "America's Most Progressive Community Newspaper") in separate polls of the state’s legal community conducted by the Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Deborah Thomas ranked highest of three potential Democratic-backed candidates for Supreme Court Chief Justice Clifford Taylor’s seat.

Group turns in signatures for controversial amendment to state constitution

(7/7/08) Voters may get a chance to lay off state lawmakers and slice their pay after organizers turned in 487,000 signatures Monday to put a sweeping constitutional amendment on the November ballot. The measure, destined for legal and procedural challenges, also would reduce the number of judges on the Michigan Supreme Court and Michigan Court of Appeals and cut the salaries of judges, the governor and other elected officials.

Dianne Byrum, a former Democratic House leader and spokesperson for Reform Michigan Government Now, refused to disclose who paid for the ballot drive, something that doesn't have to be reported until August. The measure appears to have been developed by Democratic strategists. State Democratic Party leaders have declined to say if they're involved.

Interested in this ballot measure? See this link for more information from our sister project, Ballotpedia.org.

2008

• Democratic candidate for Michigan top court? Does anybody know? (6/13/08)
• Michigan justices rule against firefighters' unions (7/23/2008)
• Judge Colombo hands down rulings in the Kwame Kilpatrick text message scandal
• The New Politics of Judicial Elections in the Great Lakes States, 2000-2008
• Impasse Over Michigan Judges Ends (4/16/2008)

2007

• Corruption supreme: Editorial (11/28/2007)

References