Daily Briefs

U of Michigan to pay $300K to settle employee lawsuit


ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The University of Michigan has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle a former employee's whistleblower and wrongful termination lawsuit.

MLive.com reports Tuesday that the school, through its attorney, signed a settlement agreement on Dec. 3 that was later released following a Freedom of Information Act records request by the news organization.

Amy J. Wang's complaint said she was asked by her boss to lie to U.S. Customs and Immigration Services officials about the duties of another employee — a non-U.S. resident — who she says shouldn't have been working in a permanent, managerial role.

The university didn't admit liability in the settlement. Wang agreed to never again work for the school and cleared the university of any new claims related to her termination.

 

Survey shows the public is ‘very  satisfied’ with 54-B District Court


For the fifth year, the 54-B District Court received high marks from the public regarding their experiences with the court. Using a survey that was administered in courts statewide, 54-B District Court asked court users questions about whether their court was accessible, timely, and fair, and if they were treated with courtesy and respect by judges and court staff.

“Our court serves the people, so their views are critically important in helping us make decisions on how to improve court operations,” said Chief Judge Andrea Andrews Larkin. ”I am very proud of the hard work put in by our staff at 54-B District Court, and we are committed to continuing to deliver fair and timely justice to the public in accordance with the law and constitution.”

Highlights from the survey include:

• 97% of court users said they were treated with courtesy and respect by court staff.

• 94% of court users said the way the judge or magistrate handled their case was fair.

• 92% of courts users were able to get their business done in a reasonable amount of time.

“The information from this survey and prior surveys has served as bench marks for the high level of customer service 54-B and users of our court have come to expect,” said Court Administrator Nicole Evans. “Access to justice and fair treatment goes hand in hand and is consistent with our goal. We cannot guarantee a favorable outcome, but we strive to ensure every person who interacts with the court is treated with fairness and respect.”

Developed with input from judges and court administrators statewide and tabulated by the State Court Administrative Office to insure accuracy, the survey enables courts to identify strengths, provide positive feedback to employees, and target areas for improvement. The survey was completed by a range of court users, including parties to cases, attorneys, jurors, and participants of treatment courts.

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