Daily Briefs

 Schuette, lawyers at odds over path of gay marriage appeal

Attorneys who persuaded a judge to overturn Michigan’s ban on gay marriage are opposing the state’s request to have an entire appeals court take the case.

They want the case to move quickly, but they say the Cincinnati-based court should stick to its practice of assigning cases to a three-judge panel.
A Detroit federal judge in March threw out Michigan's ban on gay marriage. Attorney General Bill Schuette believes the entire 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals should handle the appeal to save time and money.
But it’s rare for the whole appeals court to take any case.
 

Jail must allow mail to inmates from ACLU 

HOWELL, Mich. (AP) — A judge has ordered the Livingston County jail to stop intercepting mail sent to inmates from the American Civil Liberties Union.
 
Federal Judge Denise Page Hood signed a restraining order last week after the ACLU complained it got no response to two dozen letters sent in February.

Jail administrator Tom Cremonte says officials don’t deliver legal mail to inmates unless it’s from a lawyer who is representing an inmate. He says the jail also gets suspicious about mass mailings.

But the judge says a prisoner doesn’t have to designate a lawyer who is sending mail. Hood says higher courts have ruled that mail from the ACLU is confidential mail.

Separately, Livingston County is being sued over its refusal to distribute a journal titled Prison Legal News.
 

State Bar Spring-Board event to be held June 5

The State Bar of Michigan Labor & Employment Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution Sections will present their Spring-Board event on Thursday, June 5, from 4 - 8 p.m. at the Reserve at Big Rock Chophouse in Birmingham. Join a series of roundtable discussions followed by an evening of networking and complimentary beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres. This year the seminar will cover “The ABCs of ADR.” Hear from experienced facilitators, mediators, arbitrators, and case evaluators as they share their thoughts on how to maximize your results through effective advocacy. Come armed with all of your questions. $50 in advance.
 

WLAM Wayne Region to hold book discussion

WLAM Wayne Region’s Book Discussion of “Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-down World” by Lisa Bloom, will be held Tuesday, April 22, at 6 p.m. at Abbott Nicholson, P.C., 300 River Place, Suite 3000, Detroit.Love it or hate it, Bloom’s “Think….” promises to provide the launch pad for a great discussion. Everyone is welcome to an evening of relaxing, provocative conversation and refreshments. RSVP by April 18 to Sarah Harwood at  slharwood@abbottnicholson.com. Raman Buttar and Sarah Harwood co-chair the event.

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