Daily Briefs . . .

Holiday Hours


The 36th District Court will be closed for the holidays Friday, Dec. 23 through Tuesday, Dec. 27 and Friday, Dec. 30 through Monday, Jan. 2, 2017.

All probable cause conferences and preliminary examinations for felony cases will be held at 8:30 a.m. at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice on the 2nd floor Dec. 27-29.

Felony arraignments will be held at noon at the 36th District Court Dec. 27-29.

All other in-custody misdemeanors will be held at 10 a.m. Dec. 28-29.

The Third Judicial Court will be closed Friday, Dec. 23 through Friday, Dec. 30.

During the three days between Christmas and the New Year's Eve holiday, the Criminal Division will be staffed to handle arraignments and bench warrants. The Civil Division will be staffed to handle emergency matters. The Family Division will be staffed to process emergency juvenile intake matters, emergency domestic relations and personal protection matters. The County Clerk's Office will be staffed to accept civil and domestic relations pleadings and new case filings.

The Michigan Supreme Court will be closed Friday, Dec. 23; Monday, Dec. 26; and Friday, Dec. 30.

 

Lawyer asks Supreme Court to force Senate action on Garland
 

WASHINGTON (AP) — A lawyer from New Mexico is mounting a longshot challenge to the Supreme Court, asking it to order the Senate to consider the high court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland.

Lawyer Steven Michel argues that Senate Republicans' obstruction of President Barack Obama’s nomination of Garland violates his rights as a voter under the provision of the Constitution that provides for popular election of senators.

Lower courts have easily dismissed Michel’s case, which began in the summer, well before the election of Donald Trump seemingly doomed Garland's nomination.

The Supreme Court has been operating with eight justices since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February. Obama nominated Garland in March.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Obama’s successor should fill the seat.

 

Michigan Appeals Court says public schools can ban guns from premises
 

DETROIT (AP) — The Michigan appeals court says public schools have the power to ban guns.

The court, in a 3-0 opinion, considered gun bans in the Ann Arbor and Clio districts. The court says schools have been “broadly empowered” by the Legislature to keep students safe.

Each district was challenged by parents with a concealed pistol license. Critics argued that schools can’t restrict guns because state law prohibits local governments from regulating gun possession. But the court says there are differences between schools and a local unit of government.

The court says schools are “not formed, organized or operated” by cities, townships or counties and have “very broad powers of self-governance.”

The opinion released Friday was written by Judge Elizabeth Gleicher and joined by judges Kirsten Frank Kelly and Douglas Shapiro.
 

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