Daily Briefs

Miller Canfield lawyers host Harvard Law School Alumni

Miller Canfield lawyers and Harvard Law School alumni Matthew F. Leitman and Noah P. Hood recently hosted the annual gathering of the Michigan Harvard Law School Association. Leitman serves as president of the Association and Hood serves as vice president. Special guest speakers at the annual event were the Harvard Law School alumni: United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith; Wayne County Circuit Judge Ulysses Boykin; and Wayne County Circuit Judge Eric Cholack.  The event was attended by approximately 30 Harvard Law alumni from around Michigan.


Appeals court reverses decision on Nativity scene on busy road

WARREN, Mich. (AP) — A federal appeals court has mostly sided with a man who wants to display a Nativity scene on a median on a busy road in suburban Detroit.

The Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Wednesday reversed a decision by a judge in Detroit who said Macomb County did nothing illegal by banning the display.
The ruling sends the case back to U.S. District Court, where a trial is possible.

John Satawa’s display is 9 feet high, 8 feet wide and 8 feet deep. He claimed that the county violated free-speech rights and other constitutional guarantees.
The lower court had said Macomb County had legitimate concerns about safety. Satawa apparently had set up the display for decades before someone complained in 2008.


Feds seek prison for Mich. militia leader


DETROIT (AP) — Prosecutors are urging a judge to send the leader of a southern Michigan militia to prison for possessing a machine gun and other illegal weapons.

David Stone is returning to Detroit federal court next week. In March, he and other members of the Hutaree were cleared of conspiring to rebel against the government, but Stone pleaded guilty to a gun crime.

In a court filing Wednesday, prosecutors asked for a 41-month prison term. Stone likely would get credit for two years spent in jail before trial. He hopes the judge considers the jail time as enough punishment.

Prosecutors say Stone was a serious threat and still isn't remorseful. Separately, the government wants a 33-month prison sentence for Stone’s son, Joshua. He also served two years in jail before trial.

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