Local lawyer who slept outdoors raises more than $18,000

DETROIT (AP) - A lawyer who slept outdoors in Detroit for more than three weeks says she's going back indoors after raising more than $18,000 to help represent poor people.

Wayne County Circuit Court Chief Judge Robert Colombo Jr. read about Lisa Walinske and delivered a $500 check last Friday. He praised Walinske's work in an interview with the Detroit Free Press and called her "amazing."

Walinske had been sleeping in a hut made from scrap wood, tarps and other materials since Nov. 21. A sign said, "Campout for Justice." She wanted to raise at least $18,500 for her nonprofit law firm.

Walinske says people in the Detroit east side neighborhood "need legal justice" and can't afford a lawyer. She plans to offer classes on knowing your rights as well as environmental law.

(For more on Walinske and her cause, see "Michigan lawyer camps out" under State stories).

Published: Tue, Dec 19, 2017