State Supreme Court shuttered by wintry blast

By Steve Thorpe Legal News Michigan's citizens felt winter's snowy wrath Sunday. Homeowners, businesses and government offices spent Monday digging out and the state's courts were no exception. The Michigan Hall of Justice in Lansing, which houses the Supreme Court, Lansing office of the Court of Appeals, and State Court Administrative Office, was closed Monday. All Court of Appeals offices -- in Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids and Troy -- and the Court of Claims were also closed. According to state court spokeswoman Marcia McBrien, Court of Appeals or Court of Claims filings that were due Monday, Jan. 6, will be considered timely if filed Tuesday. Any hearings scheduled for the Court of Claims for Monday were canceled and the parties will be notified of the rescheduled hearing date. The 36th District Court in Detroit was closed except for felony arraignments and Wayne County Probate Court was also closed. U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan was closed and U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan also announced the court would be closed Monday because of the weather. Circuit Courts for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties remained open and The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office was open as well as the Third Circuit Court Criminal Division located in the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice. Lansing found itself right in the bullseye and Mayor Virg Bernero declared a snow emergency that essentially shut down all Lansing city offices. State of Michigan offices, including the House and Senate, were also closed except for essential services. Ingham County Circuit and Probate courts were closed as well as county offices. University of Detroit Mercy Law School said on its website that it was closed Monday. All of the campuses of Thomas Cooley Law School were also closed. "Each campus makes an independent decision on whether to cancel classes," said Cooley Dean Don LeDuc. "In this case, all Michigan campuses are closed. Since we don't close often, this is extraordinary." Next on Michigan's weather dance card is a bout of dangerous cold. Temperatures are expected to drop to their lowest point in two decades, according to the National Weather Service Office in White Lake Township. A warming trend is expected by Thursday. Published: Wed, Jan 8, 2014

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