At a Glance ...

WSU Law event honors James Robinson

The James K. Robinson Scholarship Committee and the Wayne State University Law School are sponsoring an event on Thursday, October 18 to celebrate the life of James K. Robinson.

Proceeds from the event, scheduled from 6-8 p.m. at the Detroit Athletic Club, will be used to supplement the James K. Robinson endowed scholarship fund.
Contact Wayne Law Director of Development Denise Thomas at 313.577.4141 for more information.

The cost is $150 and professional business attire required.

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No appeal planned over application box

LANSING (AP) — Secretary of State Ruth Johnson doesn’t plan to file an emergency appeal of a federal judge’s ruling that blocks a citizenship check-off box on Michigan ballot applications.

MLive.com reports Johnson’s office confirmed the decision last week. Johnson’s office still could go through the usual appeals process after reviewing the ruling, but the box won’t be used for the November 6 election.

The check-off box incensed some voters. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Borman earlier granted a preliminary injunction forcing Johnson to have the boxes removed for the election.

Johnson had argued that the citizenship question could prevent unqualified person from voting and committing a crime. Borman called the box confusing and a burden on the right to vote.

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Lawsuits in Hepatitis C outbreak put on hold

EXETER, N.H. (AP) — More than two dozen civil lawsuits filed against Exeter Hospital over its hepatitis C outbreak have been put on hold until early next year.

The Portsmouth Herald reports that a Rockingham County Superior Court judge has granted the hospital’s request to temporarily halt the discovery process.

That means hospital officials won’t have to answer questions from the plaintiffs’ attorneys until January, when a structuring conference will be scheduled.

The lawsuits accuse the hospital of negligence in hiring and supervising David Kwiatkowski, a former lab worker charged with stealing drugs from the hospital and replacing them with tainted syringes that were later used on patients.

Thirty-two patients in New Hampshire and several in other states where Kwiatkowski previously worked have been diagnosed with the same strain of hepatitis C he carries.

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Failed court software raises concerns

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Three years after the Vermont Judiciary started upgrading its computer system to a web-based case management system, it has little to show for the nearly $2 million that was spent on the project.

The judiciary had been working with a software company to implement a system that would have allowed everyone from state troopers to court clerks to access court information around the clock.

But the judiciary pulled out of the contract last year, citing concerns that the software didn’t work.

Court Administrator Bob Greemore tells WCAX-TV that none of the system was salvageable, because the project had to be complete for it to be usable.

Lawmakers say the experience highlights the need for greater coordination and a higher level of expertise when it comes to vetting technology contracts.

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