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Michigan School Shooting Case Could Open the Door to More Novel Prosecutions

The Crime Report

The unusual step of charging the parents in relation to the recent Michigan school shooting could ultimately embolden prosecutors to criminalize parents when their kids commit a crime and set a kind of precedent that will hit minority parents the hardest, reports Bloomberg Law News.

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Imagining a World Without Corporate Criminal Law (Symposium 10/22-10/23, Zoom)

InHouseBlog

“Imagining a World Without Corporate Criminal Law” is a symposium that will generate new ideas about the value of applying criminal sanctions to collective entities. Robert Thomas (Michigan).

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“Public Scapegoat”: Michigan Pays Out $300,000 To Only Official Fired Over Flint, Michigan Water Crisis

JonathanTurley

Six years ago, I wrote a column questioning charges in the Flint Michigan lead tainted water case as having more of a political than legal basis. Now, the state of Michigan will have to pay $300,000 to settle wrongful discharge claims by Liane Shekter Smith, the only employee who was fired as a result of the controversy.

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Michigan Man Convicted After Using Tickle Me Elmo in an Indecent Fashion

JonathanTurley

There is a bizarre case out of the Michigan where Kevin VanLuven, 60, was convicted of aggravated indecent exposure. That itself is unfortunately not strange or rare. However, VanLuven was convicted of using a Tickle Me Elmo doll to masturbate while he was inspecting a residence for a potential purchaser.

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As Life Without Parole Cases Rise, Finding Public Defenders Grows Harder  

The Crime Report

South Carolina requires just three years of experience in criminal law; Arkansas specifies that lawyers should have handled at least one homicide trial. Other states have minimal standards.

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Michigan Woman Criminally Investigated for Social Media Attacks on Anti-Maskers

JonathanTurley

Sheriff’s Office is seeking criminal charges against a Howell woman who posted nasty attacks on Twitter to criticize recent public meeting comments by anti-maskers. However, as will come as no surprise to regulars on this blog, I do not see the basis for such a criminal referral, which creates a chilling effect on free speech.

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Retail Therapy Gone Bad: Michigan Woman Sentenced For Trying To Hire Killer on “RentAHitman.com”

JonathanTurley

With the pandemic, most people are shopping online and there are growing accounts of “ doom shopping ” dangers for many who are becoming heavily indebted through retail therapy. Wendy Lynn Wein’s retail therapy, however, involved shopping for someone to kill her ex-husband.