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.
Two state legislators are working to pass a series of bills to change the way the state handles asset forfeitures. Currently, law enforcement agencies can seize property — cash, cars, homes — on the premise that the property was either used in the commission of a crime or procured through the profits of crime, but without ever even charging the property owner with the crime, much less convicting them of it. These bills would change that, according to the Detroit News:
State Rep. Gabe Leland, D-Detroit, introduced a package of bills in December that would require police to seek charges before seizing property.
“The intent of the legislation is simply to protect innocent people,” Leland said. “The legislation states that when a person’s vehicle is seized and they are either not charged with a crime or are determined to be not guilty, then they will not be responsible for any related towing or storage fees incurred during the investigation.”
Leland’s bills also would require authorities to return seized vehicles within seven days at no cost if no charges are filed.
State Sen. Tupac Hunter, D-Detroit, said he plans to introduce similar legislation later this month.
“Property seized during an investigation should be rightfully returned to the property owner if the owner has been found innocent, or is not found liable for a civil infraction,” Hunter said. “Something must be done to reform the property forfeiture laws in order to protect citizens’ rights. Michigan property owners should not have to fight for seized property that should be rightfully returned to them when innocence has been declared.”
These are a good start, but ultimately it should simply be illegal for the police to seize property at all without a criminal conviction.
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