I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
LANSING — The man at the center of an undercover sex sting controversy involving the release of his HIV-positive status has changed his plea from guilty to not guilty on one charge of indecent exposure, records from 54-A District Court in Ingham County show.
The man, who Michigan Messenger is not identifying because of privacy concerns about his HIV status, changed the plea Wednesday when he appeared before Judge Louise Alderson. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for Aug. 4.
Lansing Police allege the man exposed himself to an undercover officer during a May 22 sting in Fenner Nature Center, a 130-acre nature preserve. The undercover operation was prompted by calls by a Board of Police Commissioners member who lives near the nature center.
In a May 20 email to the undercover team, Lt. Larry Klaus, who heads up the special operations unit, wrote:
“I’d also like to get Police Commissioner, Jan Kolp off my back and help out Lt. Nosotti. Apparently the fella’s are out in full force at Fenner looking for male love. I’d like to set up some surveillance and see if we can catch a couple of them servicing one and other, so they can be charged with Gross Indecency.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, the Detroit-based Triangle Foundation and the Lansing Association for Human Rights have said the sting raises concerns about entrapment of gay men by police.
In addition to the core controversy, after a protracted battle, the city of Lansing finally released documents relating to the sting earlier this month. Contained in an arrest report of the man who changed his plea Wednesday was the man’s HIV-positive status, the release of which many observers say violated a stringent state law which makes it not only a civil infraction to release such medical information, but might also be a possible criminal act.
As a result, the Michigan Department of Community Health said Monday the city should ask Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox’s office to investigate. The Lansing city attorney who released the information, Brigham Smith, has said the city won’t seek the independent investigation, but Mayor Virgil Bernero said Wednesday he is reviewing the request for a possible state investigation.
A second man was also arrested in the May sting operation. He was originally charged with indecent exposure but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly jostling.
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