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.
The ACLU of Michigan announced on Monday that a settlement agreement had been reached with the Flint Police Department in a case where more than 100 people were forced to endure strip searches and, in some cases, even body cavity searches, after the police detained everyone at a legal dance club in the city.
A federal judge today has approved a settlement agreement in the class action lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan on behalf of more than 100 young men and women who were detained, charged with a crime, strip searched, and, in some cases, body cavity searched simply for being present at a licensed Flint dance club in 2005.
In the settlement, the Flint Police have agreed to institute new policies and training to prevent unconstitutional searches and arrests from happening again. Flint and Genesee County also agreed to pay the victims of the unconstitutional searches and arrests a total of $900,000.
“This has been a long journey for the innocent young people who have dealt with the emotional and physical toll of being strip searched and cavity searched by the very individuals who have taken an oath to serve and protect them,” said Michael L. Pitt, ACLU of Michigan cooperating attorney whose law firm Pitt McGehee Palmer Rivers & Golden led the effort on behalf of the ACLU. “We are confident that this settlement will send a strong message to all law enforcement in Michigan – police abuse comes at a cost; it is illegal and must not be tolerated.”
On March 20, 2005, undercover officers from the Flint Area Narcotics Group, also known as “FANG,” entered Club What’s Next in Flint to investigate possible drug activity. While the undercover officers reportedly bought drugs from a few individuals in the bar, the vast majority of the 117 club patrons were not involved in any illegal conduct. Nonetheless, a team of officers charged all patrons who did not possess drugs with the crime of “frequenting a drug house.” In October 2007, a Genesee Circuit Court judge threw out the charges against the ACLU’s clients because the police had no reason to believe that they had committed any crime.
“It is shocking that in the 21st century police would think it is okay to strip search and arrest Americans for merely being present at a licensed dance club,” said Kary L. Moss, executive director of the ACLU of Michigan. “Today, we are hopeful that through this settlement and the retraining of police officers we will see an end to such blatant disregard for the Constitution and human rights in Flint.”
A very important settlement to protect the rights of Michigan residents against unlawful searches.
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter