Northern Michigan priest charged with sexual assault
ROGERS CITY, Mich. (AP) — A Roman Catholic priest in northern Michigan has been charged with sexually assaulting a man.
The Rev. Sylvestre Obwaka appeared in court Tuesday in Presque Isle County and was returned to jail without bond. He’s charged with first-degree and third-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Obwaka is pastor of St. Ignatius Church in Rogers City, 60 miles southeast of the Mackinac Bridge. Catholic Bishop Steven Raica told church members Sunday that Obwaka denies the allegations.
Obwaka, a native of Kenya, has been pastor at St. Ignatius since July 2013. He’s been a priest since 2010.
Wayne Law Mock Trial teams place 2nd in regional competition
For the second time in three years, two Wayne Law Mock Trial teams advanced to the final rounds of the regional Texas Young Lawyer’s Association National Trial Competition, with both teams finishing second for 2017.
In the final round, they faced off against teams from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and the University of Cincinnati College of Law, respectively. Team one was third-year students David Adgate of Ann Arbor and Madeline Young of Troy. Team two was third-year student Brandon Barlog of Macomb, and second-year students Linda Roelans of Grosse Pointe Farms and Courtney Rosenau of Northville. All are members of the Mock Trial National Trial Team who were drawn from the ranks of the Mock Trial student organization.
Eighteen teams from law schools throughout Michigan and Ohio participated in the competition Friday, Feb. 10 through Sunday, Feb. 12, at Michigan State University College of Law in East Lansing. The teams tackled a criminal case where the defendant was charged with possession with intent to distribute 1.1 kilograms of heroin. Each team conducted five trials, representing alternatively both the defense and prosecution sides of the problem.
52nd District Court gets high marks from public on survey
The public gave 52nd District Court high marks for the fourth year in a row in a statewide survey conducted by the Michigan Supreme Court and the State Court Administrative Office. The survey asked court users whether courts were accessible, timely and fair.
“Because we serve the public, their views play an important role in helping us to determine how to improve court operations,” said Chief Judge Julie A. Nicholson.
More than 85 percent of survey respondents said 52nd District Court staff, magistrates and judges treated them with courtesy and respect; 80 percent said they were able to complete their court business in a reasonable amount of time; and 77 percent said the district court handled their cases fairly.
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