Insider Intelligence

This week, the Michigan Supreme Court announced that Judge Christopher Murray will serve as the next chief judge of the Court of Appeals. Judge Murray will step into the role on April 25, following the retirement of current Chief Judge Michael Talbot. It was also announced that Judge Murray will serve as Chief Judge of […]

On Wednesday, Governor Rick Snyder announced the appointment of Robert Kengis to the 48th Circuit Court, Allegan County. He has worked as a prosecutor in Allegan County since 1992; serving as Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney from 2011 to 2016, before being elected Prosecuting Attorney in 2016. Judge Kengis earned a bachelor’s degree from the University […]

The number of Michigan offenders who return to prison has reached its lowest level since the state began recording these rates. The rate of 28.1% also places Michigan among the top ten states in the nation with the lowest recidivism rates. Over the past several years, the legislature and Governor Rick Snyder have been investing […]

This week, Governor Rick Snyder signed into law two bills making changes to the state public administrator system. The changes are aimed at combatting probate abuse by requiring a more thorough search for heirs and sets up a clearer path of action for public administrators. The first bill, introduced by Representative Jim Runestad (R-White Lake), […]

On Monday, Governor Rick Snyder announced the appointment of Celeste Bell to the 7th Circuit Court in Genesee County. Prior to her appointment she served as the Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the Civil Division for Genesee County. Additionally, she serves as in-house counsel for the Genesee Board of Commissioners, elected county officials, and county […]

This week the House of Representatives approved House Concurrent Resolution No. 11 asking the federal government to clarify its position on the legality of marijuana. In 2008 Michigan voters approved a citizens-initiated ballot proposal allowing the medical use of marijuana. Similarly, twenty-eight other states have also passed legislation that conflicts with federal law. This creates […]

This week, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the appointment of Michigan Chief Deputy Attorney General, Matthew Schneider, as interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. Following this appointment, President Donald Trump has 120-days to formally nominate Mr. Schneider or nominate another person as the attorney for this district. Prior to serving as […]

The Michigan Supreme Court released their list of oral arguments for January 2018. Included on that list is the case of former State Senator Virgil Smith, who as part of plea deal for domestic violence charges, resigned from office and agreed to not hold an elected office for five years. However, the courts ruled that […]