State high court rejects latest redistricting challenge
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court on Friday turned down a challenge by Democratic-aligned groups to a new map for state House seats.
The groups claim the map unfairly favors Republicans and conflicts with the state Constitution, which says no party shall have a disproportionate advantage in redistricting.
But in a brief order, the court, 5-2, said it would not get involved.
In 2018, voters created a 13-member commission to make maps for seats in Congress and the Legislature, taking the work out of the hands of politicians. More than 130 hearings were open to the public before new boundaries were approved in December.
“The commission states that it chose to balance partisan fairness with other higher-order constitutional criteria, including its consideration of the identified communities of interest in Flint and the Chaldean community,” Justice Megan Cavanagh said. “Plaintiffs have not rebutted that this was a permissible choice.”
Chief Justice Bridget McCormack joined Cavanagh’s statement. Both are Democrats.
Justices Elizabeth Welch and Richard Bernstein, also Democrats, disagreed and wanted to hear the case.
“The responsibility to give meaning to and enforce our constitution’s antipartisan gerrymandering provision belongs to this court,” Welch wrote. “Indeed, this court is the only judicial authority empowered to ensure the commission’s adopted plans comply with the redistricting criteria.”
Attorney to discsuss use of social media in a defense April 27
The Michigan Defense Trail Counsel will present the webinar “Find Something Good on a Plaintiff’s Social Media Page – Now What?” on Wednesday, April 27, from noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom.
Speaker Sarah E. Cherry, a partner at Ottenwess Law, will discuss how to find the right stuff on social media and actually use it in a defense.
As a medical malpractice defense attorney, Cherry has represented hospitals, physician groups, insurance companies, physicians, mid-level providers, and nurses in negligence claims. Aside from trial practice, she has first chair experience with Daubert hearings, evidentiary hearings, complex issues involving electronic medical records (EMR), and damage analysis. Cherry was recently nominated as an as a member of the Michigan Lawyers Weekly “Up & Coming Lawyers” Class of 2022. She also serves on the Public Policy Committee for the MDTC.
Registration for the webinar is free for MDTC members and $25 for non-members. To register, visit https://bit.ly/3qCIlBw.
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