State Supreme Court suspends judge but doesn’t stop pay
BRIGHTON (AP) — A Livingston County judge facing criminal charges and ethics violations has been suspended with pay by the Michigan Supreme Court.
The court suspended Theresa Brennan but didn't stop her $143,000 salary.
It's not clear what work she's been doing: Brennan's caseload was yanked last June by the county's chief judge.
The Judicial Tenure Commission, a watchdog agency over the judiciary, had requested that her salary be put in escrow.
Brennan is accused of perjury and destroying evidence in her divorce case.
In the misconduct matter , she's accused of many ethics violations in how she ran her office as well as for a relationship with a state police detective during a murder trial.
The ethics case is being presented by the staff of the Judicial Tenure Commission.
Brennan says she's a victim of sexism.
No charges expected after black doll found hanging at dorm
YPSILANTI (AP) — Officials say no charges are expected after a black doll was found hanging from a shower rod inside an Eastern Michigan University dorm.
The Ypsilanti school says in a statement its police department submitted a report on the investigation to the Washtenaw County prosecutor's office and included a request for an ethnic intimidation charge, but prosecutors this week declined the request.
The Associated Press sent a message seeking comment from the county prosecutor.
The university has said a resident adviser in Best Hall found the doll Feb. 11 in a bathroom shared by suite mates and a guest of one of the suite mates told investigators it was placed there as a “prank.”
The school says university police “took the case very seriously" and dedicated “extensive resources” to the investigation.
Supreme Court rules for death row inmate
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is ordering a new state court hearing to determine whether an Alabama death row inmate is so affected by dementia that he can’t be executed.
The justices ruled 5-3 on Wednesday in favor of inmate Vernon Madison, who killed a police officer in 1985. His lawyers say he has suffered strokes that have left him with severe dementia.
Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court’s four liberals in siding with Madison.
The high court ruling is not the end of the case. Justice Elena Kagan says in her majority opinion that, if the state wants to put Madison to death, an Alabama state court must determine that Madison understands why he is being executed.
The justices have previously said the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment means that people who are insane, delusional or psychotic cannot be executed.
But Kagan, reading a summary of her ruling, said, “Based on our review of the record, we can’t be sure that the state court recognized that Madison’s dementia might render him incompetent to be executed.”
Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented. Justice Brett Kavanaugh was not yet on the court when arguments took place in early October.
––––––––––––––––––––
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
