New Law
Small Modicum of Justice for the Mentally Ill
July 28, 2021
STIPULATED ORDER APPROVING FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN MPAS AND MDHHS AND DISMISSING MPAS’ CLAIMS AGAINST MDHHS AND ELIZABETH HERTEL WITH PREJUDICE On July 20, 2021, Plaintiff Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, Inc. (MPAS) and Defendant Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) entered into a Final Settlement Agreement. (Final Agreement, attached as Exhibit 1.) […]
New York Becomes First State to End Lawsuit Protections for Police Officers
March 29, 2021
Hopefully, other states will follow NY’s lead in leveling the playing field between police officers and citizen contact. A series of police reform bills were passed by the New York City Council Thursday, including a measure that eliminates qualified immunity for officers, CBS New York reports. New York becomes the first state to remove long-standing protections […]
Michigan Court of Appeals says probationers can use Medical Marijuana while on probation.
March 1, 2021
Defendant appeals by leave granted1 the circuit court’s order denying defendant’s application for leave to appeal the district court’s denial of his motion to allow him to use medical marijuana while on probation. We reverse the district court’s order denying the defendant’s motion to modify the terms of his probation to allow him to use […]
Michigan judges can’t stop medical marijuana use by probationers, court rules
February 15, 2021
Registered patients previously barred from using medical marijuana while on probation may now light up, the state Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.
Local Zoning Restrictions NOT preempted by Michigan’s Medical Marijuana Act (MMMA)
January 26, 2021
In an unpublished opinion, we affirmed the trial court’s September 2017 order determining that plaintiff’s, the Charter Township of Ypsilanti, zoning ordinance directly conflicted with the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act (MMMA), MCL 333.26421 et seq., and thus was preempted by the MMMA.
Whitmer signs bills offering more alternatives to jail time for traffic offenses, low-level crimes
January 6, 2021
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday signed bipartisan legislation aimed at providing more alternatives to jail time for offenses that don’t pose a public safety risk, among other reforms to the state’s criminal justice system.
Immigration: Trump Administration Executive Orders are Overruled by Federal Courts
December 11, 2020
In the recent weeks there have been a series of federal court decisions overruling illegal Executive Orders promulgated by the Trump Administration. Attorney Carlos E. Sandoval explains that these decisions are considered major victories for many immigrants whose legal stay in the United States depends on certain programs.
Criminal Record Expungement Bill
December 2, 2020
LANSING, MI – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday signed a bill package that provides a framework for thousands of Michigan residents to seal prior criminal records from public view.
“Crime of Violence” is Unconstitutionally Vague
April 17, 2018
The U.S. Supreme Court declared a clause in federal law, requiring the deportation of immigrants convicted of a “crime of violence,” unconstitutionally vague. Read More at NPR.org Read the full opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court here.
National Immigrant Justice Center Response to RFI from ICE
October 26, 2017
Original Press Release found on ImmigrantJustice.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tara Tidwell Cullen, NIJC, (312) 660-1337, ttidwellcullen@heartlandalliance.org U.S. Government Issues RFI for New Immigration Detention Facilities; Advocates Respond with Information about Escalating Due Process and Civil Rights Violations WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 26, 2017) – As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seeks new sites for immigration detention […]