Michigan Medical Marijuana Legislation
Is medical marijuana headed for state regulation? Under a three-bill package currently making its way through the state Legislature, Michigan could soon have a state-regulated medical marijuana...
View ArticlePeople v. Hartwick and Tuttle: Changing the Landscape of Medical Marijuana in...
On July 27, 2015, the Michigan Supreme Court published its opinion on Hartwick. In that opinion, the Court clarified that a defendant must prove their affirmative defense under § 8 of the MMMA by a...
View ArticleGuaranteed Parole Might be Coming to Michigan
On Oct. 1, the Michigan House of Representatives approved legislation that would give prisoners deemed a low-risk to society automatic eligibility for parole, once they have served their minimum...
View ArticleSimpler stepparent adoptions on the horizon
On Oct. 1, the Michigan Senate approved a measure that will make it less complicated for stepparents to legally adopt their spouse’s children. Senate Bill 458, sponsored by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker,...
View ArticleGreater Police Accountability for Confiscated Property
Local police departments will find it more difficult to keep and sell confiscated property under legislation that has sailed through both the Michigan House and Senate. On Oct. 7, the Senate...
View ArticleMandated joint custody bill is getting an icy reception
Legislation that would require courts to award joint custody in divorce cases is being criticized by trial judges and family-law practitioners as being ill-conceived and not in the best interests of...
View ArticleMedical marijuana user can be prosecuted for smoking in parked car
A registered medical marijuana user who smoked marijuana in his own car while the car was parked in a public parking lot was not entitled to the protections or defenses afforded by the Medical...
View ArticleMichigan Standardizes CPL Process by Eliminating County Gun Boards
As of December 1st, County Gun Boards are a thing of the past and Michigan is now a “shall issue” State. Legislation recently signed into law by Governor Snyder establishes a specific set of criteria...
View ArticlePolice ‘Knock-and-Talk’ Procedure Upheld by Michigan Appeals Court
A “knock-and-talk” procedure used by law enforcement, which led to a search of the defendants’ homes and the seizure of marijuana butter, did not violate the defendants’ constitutional rights, the...
View ArticleMarijuana decriminalization in Grand Rapids withstands legal challenge
The decision of Grand Rapids voters to decriminalize marijuana possession by amending the city charter will remain undisturbed, now that the Michigan Supreme Court has declined to hear a challenge to...
View ArticleLegislation would make police body camera footage unavailable to the public
A bill has been introduced in the Michigan Legislature that would exempt from public disclosure video and audio footage recorded by police body cameras. Senate Bill 634, sponsored by Sen. Rick Jones...
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