Lake County whistle-blower wins Supreme Court case

BALDWIN, Mich. (AP) -- The Michigan Supreme Court has reinstated a $350,000 verdict for a woman who lost her job as head of a county 911 service when she complained that money was being misspent. Cheryl Debano-Griffin filed a whistle-blower's lawsuit against Lake County commissioners. She won the trial, but the case has twice been at the state appeals court and the Supreme Court. Commissioners claimed that Debano-Griffin's job was eliminated as part of legitimate budget deliberations. But the Supreme Court, in a 4-0 opinion, says she presented sufficient evidence to suggest otherwise. Debano-Griffin's troubles began in 2002 when she objected to an ambulance being used for residents of other counties. She also reported that money from a property tax for ambulance service in Lake County was put in another county account. Published: Fri, Feb 22, 2013