Court asked to overturn Granholm decision
LANSING (AP) — The state Court of Appeals has been asked to reinstate a decision that would release a prisoner from a life sentence.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm agreed to commute the no-parole sentence of Matthew Makowski in 2011, just before she left office. But Granholm changed her mind less than 48 hours later after the victim’s family protested.
Makowski’s attorneys say Granholm had no authority to reverse herself after documents were signed and filed. State lawyers say Michigan governors have broad powers when deciding whether to commute sentences.
Makowski was convicted of first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of a co-worker in suburban Detroit. He didn’t stab Pete Puma but arranged the 1988 robbery.
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Pot charge against Lions player dropped
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — A judge has dismissed a misdemeanor marijuana charge against Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley.
Fairly’s attorney Sid Harrell said the Judge Matt Greene agreed with prosecutors that there wasn’t enough evidence to show partially smoked marijuana cigarettes found in Fairley’s vehicle belonged to the former first-round pick out of Auburn.
Harrell says Fairley passed a drug test Tuesday, is tested several times a week by the NFL and has passed them all.
Fairley has pleaded guilty to DUI and reckless driving in a Mobile County case stemming from a May arrest. He was sentenced to a six-month suspended jail term, a year of probation and a $600 fine.
He hopes a pretrial diversion program will allow those charges to be dismissed.
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Pair seeks dismissal of extortion convictions
MARQUETTE (AP) — Two people who were convicted of trying to extort money from actor John Stamos are blaming their lawyers.
Allison Coss and Scott Sippola are asking a judge to set aside their convictions and four-year prison sentences. They say the attorneys who represented them gave them bad advice and recommended they turn down a favorable plea deal.
Prosecutors have until January to respond.
In 2010, Coss and Sippola were convicted of conspiracy and using email to threaten a person’s reputation. They had threatened to sell photos of Stamos with strippers and cocaine unless he paid $680,000. The FBI said the photos didn’t exist.
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Investigation planned at animal shelter
HASTINGS (AP) — An investigation is planned at a West Michigan animal shelter after an animal welfare advocate who worked with the facility was charged with misdemeanor cruelty.
TV stations WWMT and WOOD report county commissioners voted Tuesday to start looking into the Barry County shelter.
A forensic auditor is expected to do a preliminary check of its operations.
Marcie Tepper worked with the Barry County animal shelter for 17 years and was the liaison to the animal control advisory board. She was charged after the bodies of dogs were found at a home she owned that went into foreclosure.
Tepper has said she no longer could care for the dogs or find new homes so she euthanized them.
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