JUDGE

A state administrative judge ruled on Monday that the Graduate Employees’ Organization at the University of Michigan has violated the no-strike clause in its existing contract.

Honorable Judge Jamie L. Wittenberg of the 44th District Court in Royal Oak passed away on Sunday at the age of 48.

On Saturday the Oak Grove A.M.E Church in Detroit will host and Expungement Fair for people who would like to have their criminal records expunged. The event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 pm. at the Johnson Recreation Center located at 8550 Chippewa Street om Detroit.

Four security guards charged in the death of a man at Northland Mall in 2014 appeared before a judge on Monday.

A Michigan inmate who isn’t being considered for parole because he failed to complete a required sex offender program in prison sent a letter to his sentencing judge, using expletives in place of her name and vowing to get revenge, authorities said.

A New York appellate court judge has rejected former President Donald Trump’s bid to stay his $10,000-a-day contempt fine.

After losing at the federal court level, the City of Troy needs to decide whether to appeal the decision or take no further legal action. The city was sued by a Muslim group and the Department of Justice over the city’s refusal to grant zoning approval for the proposed Mosque in a commercial site at 3565 Rochester Road.

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge and general manager Brian Cashman had no update on a contract extension for the slugger with a potential deadline looming later this week.

Caught in lockout limbo, Yankees star Aaron Judge, Red Sox ace Chris Sale, Braves slugger Adam Duvall and other players are doing their best to stay loose.

Avern Cohn, a retired federal judge in Detroit who heard cases into his 90s, has died at age 97.

A jury has ruled in favor of the state Corrections Department in a trial about work opportunities for male officers at Michigan’s only prison for women.

A Detroit-area judge has been suspended without pay for six months for using crass and sexual language while discussing a trial with two female prosecutors.

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered Texas to suspend the most restrictive abortion law in the U.S., which since September has banned most abortions in the nation’s second-most populous state.

The first Black woman elected to Michigan’s Court of Appeals has died.

A judge has ordered the University of Michigan to fill a public records request and release pay information for employees.

A Macomb County court found a way to keep moving through the docket while still operating within COVID restrictions.

Trial courts in Michigan are going to continue operating virtually where possible, despite much of the state slowly returning to a pre-pandemic normal, officials announced last week.

Attorneys for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration are defending coronavirus tests for young athletes.

A Garden City man charged in the shooting death of his domestic partner, a Detroit police officer, was granted bond.

In an opinion issued Thursday, U.S. District Judge David M. Lawson dismissed one plaintiff and three defendants but ruled that the case will move forward. – Michigan residents whose unemployment claims were wrongfully rejected as fraudulent by a computer system can sue the system’s developers and state officials, a federal judge has ruled. In an opinion issued Thursday, U.S. District Judge David M. Lawson dismissed one plaintiff and three defendants but ruled that the case will move forward. The Michigan Attorney General’s Office, which represents the state defendants, is “still reviewing the decision with our clients,” spokeswoman Courtney Covington Watkins said. A similar lawsuit against the state is pending before the Michigan Supreme Court.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – A federal judge has denied a request by members of Michigan State’s women’s swimming and diving team for an injunction in their attempt to prevent the school from dropping the program. AdThe request for a preliminary injunction was filed last month and sought to restrain the school from eliminating the women’s varsity swimming and diving team — or any other women’s teams or athletic participation opportunities. The plaintiffs contended Michigan State was in violation of Title IX and had a history of failing to comply with Title IX’s athletic participation opportunity requirements. Michigan State announced in October it was dropping swimming and diving teams for men and women after the 2020-21 season, citing a financial crisis. Iowa recently said it wouldn't drop its women's swimming and diving program after it had been among four sports the school planned to eliminate.

DETROIT – Former southeast Michigan judge, David Parrott, is fighting to the bitter end to remake Michigan drunk driving law. A Manistee County sheriff’s deputy arrested Parrott over the holidays in 2018 on drunk driving charges. This may be the most hotly contested misdemeanor drunk driving case in the state’s history. One that could require changing the drunk driving evidence rules. That means the prosecution of his drunk driving case will remain on hold.

GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. – Defense attorneys in the ongoing Flint water crisis case are pushing for the judge to be removed. The Flint water crisis case may soon be headed in a new direction. Defense attorneys said the judge doesn’t belong on the case because of where he lives. RELATED: Flint water crisis investigation: Here’s who was chargedFormer Director of the City of Flint Department of Public Works Howard Croft’s attorney argued that since Genesee District Court Judge William H. Crawford lives in Flint, he could potentially be involved in a class-action lawsuit against Croft. Attorneys for Snyder argued Monday that the case against him was filed in the wrong county since he was making decisions in Lansing, not Genesee County.

The Flint Water Plant tower is shown in Flint, Mich., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. Some Flint residents impacted by months of lead-tainted water are looking past expected charges against former Gov. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)DETROIT – A judge granted preliminary approval Thursday to a $641 million deal that would benefit thousands of Flint residents who were harmed by lead-contaminated water. Attorneys representing Flint residents have said 80% of payments will go to people who were under 18 when the river water was used. “At last, the victims of the Flint water crisis no longer have to hope for a day of reckoning," said attorney Corey Stern, who represents 4,000 people.

DETROIT – The Michigan judge who sentenced sports doctor Larry Nassar to 40 years in prison made “wholly inappropriate” remarks about him, but they weren't enough to violate his rights and upset the punishment for sexual assault, the state appeals court said Tuesday. In a 2-1 decision, the court noted that Judge Rosemarie Aquilina still stuck to the sentencing agreement made by prosecutors and Nassar's attorneys. Judge Douglas Shapiro disagreed with the majority and said Nassar deserved to return to court in front of a different judge. Despite Aquilina's “inflammatory hyperbole,” the court noted that Nassar pleaded guilty and agreed to a minimum sentence ranging from 25 years to 40 years. Nassar could ask the Michigan Supreme Court to look at the sentencing.

GRAND HAVEN, Mich. – A man who sued his parents for getting rid of his pornography collection has won a lawsuit in western Michigan and can seek compensation. U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney ruled in favor of David Werking, who said his parents had no right to throw out his collection. He lived at their Grand Haven home for 10 months after a divorce before moving to Muncie, Indiana. “There is no question that the destroyed property was David’s property,” Maloney said Monday. Werking's parents said they had a right to act as his landlords.

A federal judge in Michigan has denied a lawsuit seeking to decertify the state’s Nov. 3, 2020 General Election results based on claims of widespread fraud in the distribution, collection, and counting of ballots. The election results were certified in Michigan on Nov. 23. Read the full opinion here:Michigan’s Board of State Canvassers voted Nov. 23 certify the Nov. 3, 2020 General Election results. The vote to certify Michigan’s election results officially awards the state’s 16 electoral votes to Joe Biden in the presidential election. Board member Norman D. Shinkle (R) abstained from voting after questioning the balance of votes in certain precincts, specifically in Detroit.

The press conference came just hours after the Trump campaign filed to dismiss its case to stop the certification of Michigan’s election results. “That case was attempting to get Wayne County board of supervisors to decertify, and they did,” Giuliani said, misidentifying the Board of Canvassers as supervisors. But Giuliani and the campaign’s filing are wrong: The Wayne County Board of Canvassers did certify the election after a 2-2 deadlock earlier this week. Michigan officials said Thursday that there’s no legal basis for them to reverse their decisions. Read the latest here: Michigan: GOP canvassers can’t legally rescind Wayne County election certification vote

DETROIT – The Trump campaign has withdrawn a federal lawsuit that was challenging certain Michigan votes in the 2020 General Election. However, his campaign was making allegations of fraud surrounding the count at the TCF Center in Downtown Detroit. The lawsuit asked the court to require an independent audit of votes cast by people in Wayne County. The state Court of Appeals said it wasn’t convinced the Wayne County judge made a mistake by refusing to stop the work of county canvassers. Read the latest here: Michigan: GOP canvassers can’t legally rescind Wayne County election certification vote

A Wayne County judge has denied a motion from Republican challengers to halt certification of Detroit election results. In a ruling issued Friday, Wayne County Judge Timothy Kenny said plaintiffs' interpretation of events at TCF Center were “incorrect and not credible.”“Plaintiffs' affiants did not have full understanding of TCF absent ballot tabulation.” Judge Kenny denied all motions, including one for an independent audit. Previous: Hundreds provide testimonies -- but no real evidence -- in Trump campaign lawsuit to stop certification of Michigan election resultsThere is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Kenny twice has turned down injunctions in Wayne County, a Democratic stronghold. Those who submitted affidavits questioned ballot transportation and most often were either not allowed to enter or saw others not allowed to enter.

Postal Service facility in McLean, Va. A U.S. judge on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, blocked controversial Postal Service changes that have slowed mail nationwide. The judge called them "a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service" before the November election. Postal Service to take “extraordinary measures” to deliver ballots in time to be counted in Wisconsin and around Detroit, including using a priority mail service. “The Postal Service continues to implement extraordinary measures across the country to advance and expedite the delivery of the nation’s ballots." The states also sought to force the Postal Service to treat election mail as first-class mail.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to advance Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination to the full Senate as Republicans powered past Democrats' boycott of the session. Read update: GOP-led Senate panel advances Barrett despite Dems' boycottWatch live coverage:Despite a Democratic boycott, Republicans are powering ahead to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court by Election Day with the Senate Judiciary Committee set to recommend President Donald Trump’s nominee to the full Senate. Never before has the Senate confirmed a Supreme Court pick so close to a presidential election. Thursday’s Judiciary Committee vote is expected to launch a rare weekend Senate session to push Barrett’s nomination forward, as millions of Americans are casting early ballots. “Judge Barrett deserves a vote and she will receive a vote,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the committee chairman, in a statement.

NEW YORK – New York City’s Empire State Building is lit up red, white, and blue in honor of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. You can view the Empire State Building in the video player below.

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) is brought down by Chicago Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller (23) during the first half of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – A major knee injury has ended Saquon Barkley's season. The Giants (0-2) said earlier in the day an MRI in a New York City hospital confirmed Barkley had torn his ACL, meaning he would not play again in 2020. The former Penn State star also was criticized by former Giants running back Tiki Barber for his pass-blocking skills. “I know from working out with him over the summer he was looking forward to this season after the ankle injuries last season,” Peppers said.

The decision is significant in a state that is anticipating waves of absentee ballots this fall; about 2.3 million have already been requested. For absentee ballots to be counted, Michigan law requires them to be received by the time polls close on Election Day. “With the November election quickly approaching, voters and local clerks need certainty — and these decisions provide that,” Jarvi said. Separately, a federal judge on Thursday blocked Michigan's longstanding ban on transporting voters to the polls. “Congress implemented a statutory scheme and gave citizens the right to spend money on transporting voters to the polls,” Davis said.

LANSING, Mich. – A judge on Friday cleared the way for more absentee ballots to be counted in Michigan, saying envelopes postmarked by the eve of the Nov. 3 election are eligible, even if they show up days later. The decision is significant in a state that is anticipating waves of absentee ballots this fall; about 2.3 million have already been requested. For absentee ballots to be counted, Michigan law requires them to be received by the time polls close on Election Day. But Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens said there's a crucial need for flexibility in November, especially after more than 6,400 ballots were disqualified in the state's August primary election. The state's top election official, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, also a Democrat, had been urging the Republican-controlled Legislature to allow the counting of absentee ballots that arrive two days after the election.

Judge ordered new safety rules for DPSCD summer school classes. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566.

NEW YORK Prosecutors on Sunday asked a judge to schedule a Friday court appearance in New York for Jeffrey Epsteins associate to face charges she helped him recruit women to sexually abuse. British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, 58, was arrested Thursday at a Bradford, New Hampshire, $1 million estate. She has been detained without bail after agreeing to be moved to New York. Maxwell has been charged with conspiring to entice girls as young as 14 to engage in illegal sex acts with Epstein from 1994 through 1997. Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail last August while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.

Serial murder suspect Kenyel Brown has been declared brain dead. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566.