Discipline board says state lawyer with anti-gay rants committed misconduct

DETROIT (AP) - The Michigan Attorney Discipline Board says a former state lawyer committed misconduct when he hounded a gay student leader at the University of Michigan. Andrew Shirvell was an assistant attorney general when he was fired in 2010. He had criticized Christopher Armstrong on an anti-gay blog, in Facebook posts and during visits to the Ann Arbor campus. Shirvell said he was exercising free-speech rights. A jury later awarded $4.5 million to Armstrong. A three-member panel at the Attorney Discipline Board says Shirvell also committed misconduct with a frivolous lawsuit against Armstrong's attorney, Deborah Gordon. The report was filed Tuesday, months after a hearing. Shirvell lives outside the state but still holds a Michigan law license. The case next will turn to a penalty phase. Published: Fri, Oct 14, 2016