Federal judge honored at DSO event
U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Damon J. Keith will be honored Saturday, March 7 at the 15th annual Classical Roots Celebration sponsored by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit.
Patron tickets are $175 and include a strolling dinner and the concert as well as a dessert and dancing afterglow.
For additional information, call 313.576.5088 or visit www.dso.org/classicalroots.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Non-discrimination policy may add sexual orientation
EAST GRAND RAPIDS (AP) — A city in western Michigan may add sexual orientation and gender identity to an existing non-discrimination ordinance on housing and employment.
City leaders in East Grand Rapids on Monday supported the amendment and a March 16 second reading is planned where it could be approved.
Mayor Amna Seibold says it “will ensure there is no discrimination.”
East Grand Rapids leaders expressed disappointment that state lawmakers failed to pass legislation on the issue. Part of the proposed ordinance was modeled after similar measures in other Michigan cities.
Gov. Rick Snyder has called for legislative discussion to amend the state’s civil rights law to prohibit discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in employment, housing and places open to the public, but bills died last session.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Jury allowed to hear of suspect’s aggressive past
HOWELL (AP) — A judge says a jury can hear testimony that a 69-year-old man accused of a road-rage killing in southeastern Michigan was involved in a similar but non-fatal confrontation previously.
Livingston County Circuit Judge Miriam Cavanaugh made the ruling last Thursday at a pretrial hearing for Martin Zale.
The Marion Township man faces an open murder charge in the Sept. 2 killing of 43-year-old Derek Flemming of Oceola Township.
Authorities say Flemming got out of his car at Genoa Township intersection to ask Zale about his aggressive driving, and Zale shot him in the head.
Cavanaugh says prosecutors can introduce evidence about Zale’s previous road-rage case in Livonia.
If Zale pleads self-defense, the judge says his lawyers can introduce evidence that Flemming also was known as aggressive.
A May trial is expected.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Sentences cut for two court demonstrators
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two protesters who pleaded guilty to demonstrating inside the Supreme Court have had their sentences reduced from five days in jail to one.
The two appeared in D.C. Superior Court last Friday to begin serving sentences a judge issued last Thursday following guilty pleas. Their attorney, Caleb Medearis, says the judge changed her sentence last Friday because she felt it was too harsh given the two had no prior record.
Medearis says the change means Margaret Johnson and Curt Ries Jr. will spend no more time in jail because they spent a night in jail after being arrested at the court Jan. 21 while protesting the court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling.
Johnson and Ries were two of eight people arrested that day. Others arrested at that time have March court dates.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
