michigan attorney general bill schutte

Tribe appeals injunction blocking Lansing casino project

Steve Carmody — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:20:06 +0000

Backers of a proposed casino in downtown Lansing are asking a federal appeals court to toss out a legal ruling that threatens to bring their plans to a halt.

Last month a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians’ plans to build a $245 million casino in downtown Lansing.

Michigan’s attorney general sought the injunction claiming the tribe’s plans violated federal law and a state gambling compact.

The week in Michigan politics: Affirmative action, meningitis and Detroit EM

Jack Lessenberry, Christina Shockley and Emily Fox — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:56:33 +0000

In this week in Michigan politics, Jack Lessenberry and Christina Shockley discuss Michigan’s affirmative action case being taken up in the U.S. Supreme Court, how Attorney General Bill Schuette wants an in-depth investigation into the meningitis outbreak, and what Kevyn Orr has done in his first week as emergency manager for Detroit.

Schuette asks for grand jury to investigate steroid illnesses, deaths

Rick Pluta — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:32:57 +0000

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has called for a grand jury investigation into an outbreak of meningitis and other illnesses caused by tainted steroids.

The contaminated medicine has been linked to 259 cases of illness and 14 deaths in the state.

The attorney general filed his request with the Michigan Court of Appeals. If the court says yes, a judge and up to 17 grand jurors would conduct the inquiry into whether any crimes were committed. The proceedings would be secret.

It’s an unusual step, but Schuette says the grand jury would have sweeping authority to do its job.

“Now, this grand jury can be empowered to fully investigate this human tragedy, these 14 deaths and painful illnesses, with the greatest power extended under Michigan law. "

The grand jury would meet in secret. It would have the power to compel people to appear and testify. And it could ask a Massachusetts court to order employees of the pharmacy that made the drug to cooperate.

The judge to lead the investigation and the grand jurors would be drawn from Macomb, Genesee, Livingston, and Grand Traverse counties.

Those counties are where the clinics that administered the contaminated steroid injections are located.

Craps: Lansing casino project in jeopardy

Steve Carmody — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 23:36:00 +0000

Plans for a casino in downtown Lansing are in jeopardy this evening.

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians wants to build a $245 million casino next to Lansing’s convention center. However, before the tribe could build the casino, the U.S. Department of the Interior would have to agree to take the land for the casino into trust.

But Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette filed a lawsuit trying to block the tribe's trust request.

Federal judge will hear arguments over Lansing's proposed downtown casino

Steve Carmody — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 20:28:00 +0000

A federal judge in Grand Rapids will hear arguments Wednesday in a case that may determine if Lansing will get a downtown casino.

A year ago, the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians announced plans to build a casino that would wrap around Lansing’s downtown convention center. The plan included the construction of a temporary casino along Michigan Ave.

Michigan grants available for first-time homebuyers, refinancing too

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 17:33:36 +0000

First time homebuyers may be eligible for up to $5,000 in state grants. The grants are part of a settlement against the five largest mortgage servicers.

Michigan homeowners will have to wait to get their share of a national foreclosure settlement

Steve Carmody — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 20:17:08 +0000

Michiganders hard hit by the foreclosure crisis might get some help thanks to a national settlement approved this week by a federal judge. But that help won’t be coming immediately.

The $26 billion settlement involves 49 states, the District of Columbia and five of the largest mortgage lenders in the United States: Bank of America, Wells Fargo, J.P. Morgan Chase, Citibank and Ally Financial.