Parking tickets hit the docket of federal appeals court
SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) — A federal appeals court has heard arguments in a challenge to a Michigan city's practice of marking tires to catch people who ignore time limits on parking.
Alison Taylor is appealing a decision that went in favor of Saginaw. Her attorney argues that chalking tires violates the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches.
The case made headlines in 2019 when the same appeals court said marking tires could be illegal without a warrant in some circumstances. The court sent the lawsuit back to a federal judge in Bay City for more work, but he eventually ruled against Taylor again.
A different three-judge panel at the appeals court heard arguments Thursday.
In court papers, Saginaw said it's a "novel issue" but not a violation of the constitution.
"The city used the chalk to inform vehicle owners that that their vehicle is subject to the time limitations as set forth by the local ordinances," attorneys for Saginaw said.
The city said Taylor had 14 parking tickets, some issued after a tire was marked.
Taylor's attorney, Philip Ellison, said a chalk line on a tire might be "low tech" but it's still an illegal trespass against her car. He wants to make the case a class-action.
Michigan Supreme Court judge gives pep talk to jail inmates
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Inmates at a Flint-area jail got a pep talk from an unlikely visitor: a Michigan Supreme Court justice.
Richard Bernstein recently shook the hands of 24 people enrolled in an education program intended to help them succeed when they're released from the Genesee County jail, MLive.com reported.
"There is a lot of excitement for you in this program. You are needed, and I am counting on you," Bernstein said.
Bernstein comes from a wealthy Detroit-area family that has been successful in law. But he explained how he must overcome challenges each day as a blind person.
Bernstein has run two dozen marathons. He also spent weeks in a hospital recovering from injuries when a high-speed bicyclist struck him in a New York park in 2012.
"We are given our experiences for a reason," Bernstein told jail inmates. "The more difficult or painful experiences aren't given to us to enjoy life or make the most out of them. We should look to use those difficult experiences to do something impactful."
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson said the jail's IGNITE program was developed to give people a fresh shot at a better life.
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