Mental health might be changed, dropped from State Bar application
LANSING (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court is exploring whether to drop questions about mental health on the application for a Michigan law license.
The application for admission to the State Bar asks people if their judgment has been affected by a treated or untreated mental or emotional condition. The court is seeking input about whether the questions should still be included or changed.
The court says the Justice Department in 2014 told Louisiana that it should focus on an applicant's conduct, not a mental-health diagnosis or treatment. At least nine states have dropped questions about mental health.
Comments can be sent by May 1 to ADMcomment@courts.mi.gov.
Panel poised to seek AG’s opinion on LGBT protections
WARREN (AP) — The Michigan Civil Rights Commission is poised to ask the new attorney general to reconsider her predecessor's opinion that state law doesn't protect LGBT people from discrimination .
The commission planned to decide whether to make the request to Attorney General Dana Nessel at its scheduled meeting today in Warren.
The commission in July directed the Michigan Department of Civil Rights to continue investigating complaints based on sexual orientation and gender identity, despite then-Attorney General Bill Schuette's opinion. He said last year the board overstepped when it said the state's civil rights law covered those categories.
Department director Agustin Arbulu said last year the commission wasn't bound by Schuette's opinion.
High court won’t review two Oklahoma death row cases
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court will not review the sentences of two Oklahoma inmates who argue that people of color are more likely to be sentenced to death in Oklahoma when the victim is white.
The court on Monday declined without comment to review the separate cases of Julius Darius Jones and Tremane Wood, whose first name is spelled Termane in state court documents.
Jones was convicted of killing Paul Howell during a 1999 carjacking and Wood was convicted of killing Ronald Wimpf during a robbery. Both victims were white. Jones is black and Wood is biracial.
Attorneys cited a 2017 study that found nonwhites are more likely to be sentenced to death in Oklahoma when the victim is white.
Defense attorney Dale Baich told The Oklahoman more appeals are planned.
Police: Woman drove drunk on vanilla extract
NEW CANAAN, Conn. (AP) — Police say a Connecticut woman charged with driving under the influence was drunk on vanilla extract, which contains a significant amount of alcohol.
Hearst Connecticut Media reports that New Canaan police found 50-year-old Stefanie Warner-Grise sitting in a car at an intersection with her eyes closed.
Officers say they found several bottles of pure vanilla extract inside her vehicle.
They say they detected an odor of vanilla on her breath, her speech was slurred and she was unable to answer basic questions.
Police say she was arrested after failing field sobriety tests.
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