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The Michigan Messenger going forward

By Staff Report | 11.16.11

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 [...]

Colorado-based abstinence program provided false and misleading information to Michigan students

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.16.11

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.

Class action lawsuit filed against MERS over unpaid taxes

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.15.11

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.

Schuette fights important mercury regulations

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By Eartha Jane Melzer | 11.14.11

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.

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Senate approves changes in sex offender law

By Ed Brayton | 03.11.11 | 7:18 am

The Michigan Senate approved a series of bills to reform Michigan’s sex offender laws on Thursday, including a provision that would no longer require those in “Romeo and Juliet” relationships to remain on the sex offender list.

The Detroit News reports:

Underage lovers soon may no longer be in danger of showing up on the state’s sex offenders list under a package of bills the Senate approved today.

The proposed change would prevent teens from being listed for having consensual sex with a partner between the ages of 13 and 16, provided there is no more than four years between their ages. Children would have to be at least 14 to be added to the sex offender registry…

“The purpose of the Adam Walsh Act is to ensure that the dangerous predators are treated in a different manner,” [State Sen. Rick ] Jones said. “That’s been toughened up. But while doing that we’ve taken up the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ situation, where it’s a 17-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl.”

This is very good news for many people whose lives have been ruined by being on the public sex offender list for 25 years for completely consensual behavior that harms no one. It’s nice to see the legislature come together in a bipartisan manner to pass common sense legislation.

Comments

  • Anonymous

    Its about time! I signed up for the army when I turned 17, went and did my basic training, then came home to finish my senior. I went and did my drills every month, right before graduation my girlfriends dad pressed charges on me .. I was a senior and she was a sophomore .. I got charged with a csc, and it ruined my life! Got kicked out the army, lost scholarships and the whole nine yards! Now they need to wipe everyone’s record clean who falls under this law, cause I would really love to go back in the army and start a new life for me and my family!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3AVKSAEEGJPAPZJYHU45FLWQQ4 Scott

    I agree. It is about time. Not saying under age sex is right but those that don’t know the law should not be treated as a harden criminal or harden sex offender. Sex Education wants to teach kids at a young age about safe sex but not express the laws to abide. I was only with my so called “victim for 10 months from 16 till my 17th birthday and she was 15 going on 16 and i was charged with CSC, Criminal Sexual Conduct, i was taken out of high school unable to graduate and walk lost the oppurtunity to gain my scholarship for football, and yet have struggled with life and missed out on so much due to the charge and being on the registery, how am i suppose to better myself and be there for my children and be involved in their life as a parent when i cant go on field trips or school activities or anything else. I’ts about time they do something.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_RZNPAW2JVRE567DT4AKAVHRQQA John Turner

      sorry but the message was by John somehow the entitle name went to my bothers name.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Tiffany-Renee-Walker/1117088447 Tiffany Renee Walker

    But what about the kids who have had their lives stolen from them. Avoiding the sex offender list after his release, sure that’s great. But what about changing the Law, not turning these teenage love affairs into crimes. My brother has been in prison for OVER 7 years for being a few days over 17 and having sex with a 14 year old girl who admittedly even lied about her age. My brother entered the prison system at 17 and is about to see his 25th birthday. It makes me sick, EVERYTHING was taken from him because of a mistake he made as a kid. What do we have to do to change this law? Get these kids out of prison, so they can have what is left of their lives, they already took his best years away, to swap it for a prison cell, mistreatment by our corrupt prison system, I am just so sad and wish we could be just a little more progressive about this issue. How do you go about changing a law with no money and limited resources. How can we help these kids??

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Daniel-Schulz/1621130162 Daniel Schulz

      They just want their money

  • Anonymous

    What about someone who was 17 with someone under 16? And is this only going to free those convicted of consensual relations with someone between 13 and 16 or will it also effect those who were charged with relations with someone 13 – 16 years old but then accepted a plea to and convicted of (for example) 2nd degree CSC for having consensual ORAL relations with someone who was 12?

  • Anonymous

    This is a great new bill, I don’t thing real criminals should be let off the hook by any means but for those that have literally had their lives ruined by something so stupid as consentual sex with two minors no more than 4 yrs apart, this is something that will finally let their lives get back to normal and quit being sterotyped as a sexual predator. It hard to believe this has taken this long to happen, and I hope for the people that have been affected by this can fianlly have their lives back…

  • Anonymous

    My boyfriend was at an 18 and up club 4 years ago when a night of what was suppose to be fun turned his life into a nightmare. A 19 yr old girl approached him on the dance floor where they had danced and while dancing he put his hand on her butt. The girls boyfriend seen what was going on the girl then walked away, and my bf was attacked by him not long after. The cops were then called, the girl then lied stating she was dancing and my bf put his hand up her skirt. There were 3 people who witnessed and agreed this was not true. The case went to court and my bf was asked to plea bargain so the case didnt go to trial. He was told he would have to register as a sex offender. Not knowing much about the sex offender registry, and being on the spot he agreed just to have this over with. Though we were not dating at the time, but I can see how that night had destroyed his life and now ours as we are expecting a baby. Finding a job and constantly having to defend himself is getting exhausting. People always seem to think it had something to do w a kid.. It had NOTHING to do with a child and it makes me sick that this is legal. Not that I think it was ok to smack her butt, but to take it to this extreme!!???! I hope that this helps everyone who is registered for ridiculous reasons, so the child molesters can be punished as they should. So many innocent peoples lives are destroyed and futures are ruined for no reason…

  • Anonymous

    I am a sex offender who was 18 yrs old and my victim was 15 at the time of the offense (1994). I met the young woman at a bar that served alcohol. I was told by the victim that she was 18 and later admitted being 17 . After spending the night at my house she returned home to an irate mother who had already called the friend she said she had spent the night with. Making the allegations that she was kidnapped and raped her mother immediately notified the local authorities. At the time my condo association was skeptical about an 18 yr old living in an exclusive residence and  quickly expressed their suspicions. I was notified that I needed to talk to the police concerning the victim and reported to the police station on my own (ignorant of the charges). By the time I arrived, detectives had already gotten the truth from the victim. She admitted to having come to my house around 1am Sunday morning after partying that Saturday evening and lying about her age. The mother of the victim sat in the waiting room explaining to the blue eyed pale skinned gentleman next to her how much trouble her daughter was in for making false allegations. When I walked out of the office used for the interview, the mother asked the detective if I was the guy. When it was affirmed that I was the accused, the victims mother, took inventory of me and turned to her red headeddaughter and asked, “You were with this Nigger?” The detective calmed the mother enough for her to utter the words, “I want charges on this boy!” I served 14yrs 8mo.’s for CSC 3rd. I lost my job as a Conveying Engineer, my home and multiple vehicles, my family’s reputation and almost 15yrs of my life because I was lied to. I am now 35 yrs old (max’d sentence at age 32) and have two toddlers. I am blessed to be employed but my salary is almost 15k less than when I was 18. I am a constant photo in BUSTED magazine and have to explain myself every few weeks. Thankfully, my current employer has yet to see an issue but the inevitable is hard to ignore. I have been rejected from jobs that accept mentally retarded persons as employees but I can’t get hired with multiple degrees. I have been rejected from renting and even purchasing homes because of my registration status. With the law change I am leery of how they are going to issue exoneration from the registry. If my name stays on the list then it will say to my family, friends, and employer that I am a predator. I can not go through this s—- (stuff) again. There is just so much a sane person can handle. The fact that I have a reasonable outlook on life is a gift from God! If I remain on the registry…

  • Anonymous

    everybody says yay  but check this i am a registered sex offender my victim was then 12  i touched her one time over her clothing while drinking witch i deeply regretted then   as well as now    this crime happened over 20 years ago i have done nothing wrong since to anyone     now as a tier 3 sex offender i have to register for life and  have my neighbors within a 1000 feet told i am a sexual predator     this bill does nothing to access the risk of the person your living next to    it only encourages hate and and hurts your since of security i would like to know what crime the person i am living next to committed not just fear the worse my crime is bad i agree    but it did not include rape , penetration ,kid napping , force and i have only one victim     i am less of a risk then your own old uncle tom that has never been convicted of a sex crime    i have had successful  sex offender therapy  and have deep regret for what i have done and  care very much for children and there safety     the time should be spent on preventing crimes against children with child awareness programs   not just plunishing those who have already been punished     while your worried about the sex offender next door   some one that is not a sex offender may be molesting your child    put your concern where it should be on your children    talk to them about such things in a kind way    communication with them will protect them far more then these hate laws will

  • Anonymous

    This State is a Joke it should be grand fathered into there stupid laws they make up everyday. This isnt fair to the ones who were already sentenced, How can they do this? It isnt fair or right.If you are going to make a new law it should be from this day forward not effect the people who have already been sentenced and on the list that is like retrying them again. This sate needs to realize this.When you make a law it should only be for people who offend from that day forward.That is like retying them again for a old crime. SAD SAD SAD.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MFCEGUMNEF346G3N7PT6IUO75M Tracey

    The biggests problem with this new law is that an offenders employers information has to to be listed… as an employer i do not want my info listed so I will never hire an offender no matter the severity. I feel sorry for them because they will not be able to get jobs.

  • Anonymous

    I think this is sad…..how long must a person pay for a crime?????????  having to live their life as a registered sex offender for ever is completely unfair. my close friend was incarcerated for csc and served 20 yrs. he has been a free man for the last 3 years, he reports monthly and is trying to live a normal life. he was so happy to only have 2 more years left to be on the sex registry list and now this! smh  

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