Insider Intelligence

This week, Justice Bridget McCormack was elected by her colleagues to serve a two-year term as Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. She is the sixth woman in Michigan history to serve as Chief Justice. This also marks the first time in state history that the Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and Chief […]

This week, the Senate Government Operations Committee reported legislation allowing the legislature to intervene in court cases when they feel it’s necessary to protect a right or interest of the state. As passed by the House last week, the bill allows for intervention in any state court, during any stage of the proceeding, and applies […]

This week, the House passed legislation introduced by Representative Rob VerHeulen (R-Walker) allowing the legislature to intervene in state court cases when they feel it’s necessary to protect a right or interest of the state. The bill allows for intervention in any state court, during any stage of the proceeding, and applies to all matters […]

This week, the House Law and Justice Committee reported legislation that would treat 17-year-olds as minors for most criminal offenses. Currently, Michigan is one of only five states that automatically consider a 17-year-old to be an adult in criminal offenses. Under the proposal, cases involving individuals under 18 will be transferred to the family division […]

Several organizations have been working to get ballot proposals onto this November’s general election ballot. There are several hurdles to overcome first; the backers must obtain the required number of signatures of Michigan voters, the Secretary of State’s Office must validate the signatures and that the required amount was obtained, and lastly the Board of […]

In 2015, the Michigan legislature passed, and Governor Rick Snyder signed, legislation ending straight ticket voting in Michigan. “Almost immediately after being signed into law, challengers took their objections to the court. They were partially successfully when an injunction was put on the law stopping it from being implemented,” explained Rudy Hobbs of MLC. Following […]

A bipartisan group of House members introduced a 26-bill package extending additional legal protections to human trafficking survivors. The bill sponsors are aiming to address the issues of human trafficking in three ways: Creating and funding additional legal tools for victims of human trafficking Expanding awareness and preventive measures Addressing the relationship between prostitution and […]

This week, the House of Representatives approved a plan to establish standards for prisoners before they can be considered for parole. Under House Bill 5377, the reasons a prisoner may not be released include: A history of behavior while incarcerated that displays a risk to public safety Failing to outline a personal plan for parole, including […]