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.
A Bay City man will spend the next nine months in jail for having unprotected sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old Midland girl.
The Midland Daily News reports 21-year-old Isaiah Jacob Diaz pleaded guilty under Michigan’s felony disclosure law. Under that law, any person who is HIV positive must inform a sexual partner before any penetration occurs.
The News reports that Diaz had sex with the unidentified teen on June 13, then informed her on June 14 that he was infected. The girl informed who parents who contacted Midland police and Diaz was arraigned on June 14.
While the young woman has been tested for the virus, the results of that test are sealed by court order.
In addition to nine months in jail, Diaz will serve 3 years on supervised probation, and pay $1,250 in fines and court fees.
Michigan Messenger reported in-depth on the case of Michael Holder who spent years in Michigan prisons after being convicted by a jury which included jurors who made racist comments in reference to inter-racial relationships. Since then, some lawmakers have begun discussing a need to change the law.
Michigan’s law makes sexual activity without disclosure a felony, but not sharing needles or other transmission routes. That led State Sen. Hansen Clarke to tell Michigan Messenger:
“By criminalizing sexual activity, it hasn’t been able to protect the public,” said State Sen. Hansen Clarke, a Detroit Democrat. “We’ve [the legislature] got to look at a different policy because the current one is not effective. It could be something counterproductive, but I have to research that more.”
Some lawmakers in the state House have started talking about possibly revisiting the law, including State Rep. Rick Jones, a Republican from Grand Ledge.
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