Michigan

‘Spam King’ Pleads Guilty to Fraud

A West Bloomfield, Mich., man who a federal prosecutor described as “the world’s most notorious illegal spammer” has pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering. Alan M. Ralsky, 64, is known as the “Spam King” for the years he acted as an e-mailer for hire, the Detroit News reports. Ralsky’s…

Jun 23, 2009 2:38 PM CDT

Insurance Co. Agrees to Settle Key Autism Case With 100 Families

As lawmakers across the country draft and pass legislation that requires insurance companies to pay for autism treatments, a Michigan insurance company has opted to settle with 100 families seeking to be reimbursed for autism treatments for their children. The $1 million class action settlement agreed to by Blue Cross…

Jun 23, 2009 10:14 AM CDT

Courtroom Judge Has Power to Ban Muslim Veil, Top Michigan Court Decides

A divided Michigan Supreme Court has approved a much-awaited rule of evidence revision that delineates the power of a courtroom judge to determine witness attire. Rejecting an American Civil Liberties Union argument that the revised Michigan Rule of Evidence 611 should contain an exception for religious dress, the court voted…

Jun 17, 2009 7:04 PM CDT

Veterans Helped by Law Students in Traveling Winnebago Law Office

Law students at the University of Detroit Mercy law school aren’t waiting for low-income veterans to come to them with their legal troubles. Instead the students are traveling the country in a donated Winnebago to meet with the veterans and help them obtain disability and pension benefits, the National Law…

Jun 16, 2009 2:58 PM CDT

Dickinson Wright Sued for $33M in Alleged Patent Error for Lacrosse Stick

A $33 million suit filed against Dickinson Wright claims two of its lawyers let a patent lapse for a lacrosse stick by failing to pay an administrative fee. The suit by Warrior Sports Inc. claims the mistake forced the company into an unfavorable settlement in its infringement suit against a…

Jun 4, 2009 12:34 PM CDT

Did 5 Detroit Lawyers Craft $8.4M Pact to Conceal Ex-Mayor’s Perjury?

Five lawyers who helped craft a controversial $8.4 million settlement by the city of Detroit that papered over then-mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s perjury in police whistle-blower litigation are now facing ethics charges. They include not only top in-house attorneys and outside counsel for the city but plaintiffs lawyer Mike Stefani, who…

May 20, 2009 5:40 PM CDT

Miller Canfield Lawyer Charged in Biker Gang Case to Resign Detroit Post

Updated: Before his orientation was even finished, a Detroit lawyer announced Wednesday that a member of the new city mayor’s volunteer crisis turnaround team has effectively been fired. Meanwhile, the mayor is taking it on the chin from a political opponent for his choice of Hatim “Tim” Attalla, who works…

May 15, 2009 7:37 PM CDT

Miller Canfield Lawyer, 73 Others Charged in Biker Club Racketeering Indictment

A lawyer at Miller Canfield Paddock and Stone is among 74 alleged associates or members of a biker club charged in what the Detroit News describes as a sweeping federal racketeering indictment that was unsealed in Detroit today. Appointed yesterday by Detroit’s mayor to a role in the city’s crisis…

May 15, 2009 3:55 AM CDT

What Gender Gap? Many Women Lawyers w/ Kids Do as Well as Men, Researcher Says

It may not be whether women lawyers have children but how much they focus on their families that accounts for a widely reported gender gap between the salaries and partnership prospects of male and female attorneys at many law firms. A study of data concerning graduates of the University of…

May 13, 2009 12:14 AM CDT

Michigan Supreme Court Mulls Rule on Witness Attire

Michigan’s highest court is weighing whether to adopt a guideline that would give lower court judges wide discretion when it comes to controlling witness attire. But civil rights advocates are pressing the court to include an exception for religious dress. Consideration of the new court rule was prompted by a…

May 11, 2009 4:44 PM CDT

Lawyer Charged with Assault and Battery in Courthouse Cop Scuffle

A Michigan criminal defense lawyer has been charged with misdemeanor assault for a courthouse scuffle with a police officer two months ago. St. Clair Shores lawyer Timothy Barkovic was charged with assault and battery and disturbing the peace, the Detroit Free Press reports. Barkovic contends he was attacked unprovoked and…

May 7, 2009 4:43 PM CDT

Look at This, ‘Annoying Law Firm’—Our Competing Billboard, Outside Your Office

Ordinarily, Traverse Legal doesn’t advertise locally, says the founding partner of the Michigan law firm. But Enrico Schaefer says he made an exception to this policy in order to get back at an unidentified Traverse City, Mich., competitor he refers to as “annoying law firm” in a post on his…

Apr 30, 2009 7:47 PM CDT

Midsize Midwestern Firms Outside of Big Cities Doing Relatively Well

Midsize Midwestern law firms outside of major urban areas are doing better than their larger counterparts, where layoffs are common and associate start dates are being pushed back. Midwestern firms with between 100 and 450 lawyers haven’t relied as much on work stemming from capital markets and mergers and acquisitions.…

Apr 27, 2009 5:39 PM CDT

Judge’s Jury Form Mistake Results in Overturned Conviction

A Michigan appeals court has overturned an involuntary manslaughter conviction because a judge forgot to list “not guilty” as an option on a jury verdict form. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Michael Jess Wade, a security guard convicted of shooting and killing a suspected thief, deserves a new trial…

Apr 24, 2009 1:59 PM CDT

Underwire Bra Deflects Bullet During Detroit Break-In

A shot reportedly fired at a neighbor during a break-in of an elderly Detroit woman’s home yesterday apparently hit its target right in the chest. But the 57-year-old neighbor wasn’t injured: The shot was deflected by her underwire bra and didn’t break the skin, reports the Detroit Free Press. Police…

Apr 22, 2009 10:18 PM CDT