Courts
GOP former House speaker sentenced to federal prison for taking bribes as head of state licensing board
A one-time Michigan House speaker has been sentenced to just over four-and-half-years in prison following his conviction for taking bribes while heading up a state licensing board. Rick Johnson, who chaired the Michigan Marijuana Licensing Board (MMLB) from 2017 to 2019, was ordered on Thursday to serve 55 months in prison by U.S. District Court […]
Oakland County judge declares Oxford shooter can be sentenced to life without parole
A hearing that began in July to decide whether or not Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley can be sentenced to life in prison concluded today. Judge Kwame L. Rowe, of the 6th Circuit Court of Oakland County, ruled that the shooter’s status as a minor does not make him ineligible for a no-parole option […]
Legislation to end ‘gay panic’ defense in Michigan gets House hearing
Beaten. Blinded. Bludgeoned. According to the American Bar Association, LGBTQ+ people have been subjected to an assortment of violent crimes — but those actions have been successfully defended in courts, lessening or even throwing out criminal charges when the assailant claimed the victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity led to their violent actions. That’s commonly […]
Nessel draws broad support from tribal nations, businesses and other states in Line 5 suit
A coalition of tribal nations from across the Midwest and Canada on Monday submitted a brief supporting Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s argument to move her lawsuit to shut down Enbridge’s Line 5 pipelines back to state court. The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals will weigh arguments as to whether Nessel’s case should be […]
Updated: Menendez urged to step down by a growing number of U.S. Senate Democrats
WASHINGTON — More than a dozen U.S. Senate Democrats are calling on New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez to resign following his indictment on corruption charges for the second time. Among the 18 senators on the record as of early Tuesday afternoon was New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, who said in a statement that Menendez’s […]
Republican Mike Rogers slams DOJ prosecution of Trump
Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers is doubling down on his bid to pick up far-right supporters as he seeks the Republican nomination for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat. The 60-year-old Rogers is a former FBI agent who represented mid-Michigan in the U.S. House for seven terms from 2001 to 2015, and also served as chair […]
Menendez steps down temporarily as U.S. Senate committee chairman amid federal charges
WASHINGTON — New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez will temporarily step aside as chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee following a federal indictment for conspiracy to commit bribery and other charges. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made the announcement Friday afternoon, saying in a written statement that “Senator Menendez has rightly decided to […]
Feds accuse Sen. Menendez of taking gold, car and cash for favors
Federal authorities indicted U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez for the second time Friday, charging him with conspiracy to commit bribery and related offenses over his alleged aid to a North Jersey businessman and an attempt to disrupt criminal probes into allies. Menendez, a Democrat and New Jersey’s senior senator, was charged with one count each of conspiracy […]
Bills to eliminating majority of court fees for Michigan juveniles get Senate hearing
Youth criminal justice stakeholders told lawmakers this week that some families of juveniles in Michigan owe upwards of $100,000 in non-restitution related fees to the court. They added that the time and money dedicated to collection of those fees outweighs any benefit to the state and Black families often bear the highest debts. The Michigan […]
Here are the states that arrest and punish the most pregnant women
Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma and South Carolina lead the nation in arresting and criminally punishing women for allegedly posing a danger to their fetuses, according to a report released by advocacy group Pregnancy Justice. Nationwide, nearly 1,400 people were arrested or subject to disparate bail, sentencing and probation for conduct related to their pregnancies between 2005 […]
Michigan Supreme Court won’t hear appeals in Flint water crisis cases
The Michigan Supreme court will not hear appeals to the lower courts’ decisions to dismiss criminal charges against key figures in the Flint Water Crisis prosecution, including the state health director at the time. Nine officials in Michigan, including former Gov. Rick Snyder, were charged in 2021, in connection to the Flint water crisis that […]
A ‘disaster’ nears: Millions of federal workers’ paychecks would be on hold in a shutdown
WASHINGTON — More than 3.5 million federal employees and military personnel — many in the Washington, D.C., area but also scattered across the states and around the globe — are bracing for another partial government shutdown, as U.S. House Republicans struggle to produce a short-term plan to fund the government past the end of the […]