Michigan Supreme Court Decisions 2024

Justia Opinion Summary: Hark Orchids, LP (plaintiff) filed a legal malpractice action against its former attorney and law firm, William Buie and Conklin Benham, PC (defendants). In 2015, defendants represented plaintiff in a workers’…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, a 16-year-old student, was charged with assault with intent to commit great bodily harm less than murder (AWIGBH) under an aiding and abetting theory. The incident involved two other students, TI and CB,…

Justia Opinion Summary: During an altercation at a party, the defendant pushed the victim in the chest, causing the victim's chest to bleed. Although no one saw the defendant with a knife, the victim's treating physicians concluded that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2015, the defendant drove his vehicle on a freeway while speeding and under the influence of alcohol and controlled substances. He struck the back of another vehicle, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves two groups of plaintiffs challenging several provisions in a 2022 manual issued by the Secretary of State, which provided instructions for election challengers and poll watchers. The plaintiffs argued…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over the issuance of medical marijuana dispensary licenses in the city of Warren. In 2019, the Warren City Council adopted an ordinance to regulate these licenses, which involved a Review…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the Michigan Farm Bureau and other agricultural entities challenging new conditions imposed by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) in a 2020 general permit for Concentrated…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2018, Michigan's Legislature received initiative petitions proposing the Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act and the Earned Sick Time Act. The Legislature adopted these initiatives without changes, preventing them…

Justia Opinion Summary: A 13-year-old boy, Jawad Jumaa, was diagnosed with torticollis at Garden City Hospital and discharged. He was found dead the next morning, and an autopsy revealed bacterial meningitis as the cause of death. His parents,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiffs, current or retired public school superintendents and administrators, filed a lawsuit against the Office of Retirement Services (ORS) alleging that ORS violated the Public School Employees Retirement Act…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted by a jury in the Wayne Circuit Court of three counts of torture, three counts of unlawful imprisonment, one count of felonious assault, and one count of possession of a firearm during the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the first case, Kent County foreclosed on the homes of Matthew Schafer and Harry and Lilly Hucklebury for unpaid taxes. The properties were sold at auction in 2017, and the county retained the surplus proceeds beyond…

Justia Opinion Summary: Karen Carter filed a lawsuit against DTN Management Company after she slipped and fell on an icy sidewalk at her apartment complex on January 10, 2018. She alleged negligence and breach of statutory duties. Carter filed…

Justia Opinion Summary: Jane Doe, a minor, alleged that the Alpena Public School District and the Alpena Board of Education created a sexually hostile educational environment by failing to adequately respond to repeated unwanted sexual contact…

Justia Opinion Summary: Police officers observed a parked car with its engine running in an elementary school parking lot at 10:00 p.m. They parked their patrol car 10 feet behind the parked car at a 45-degree angle, with headlights and a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Eric Bradley and Jacqueline Chuang filed a lawsuit in the Washtenaw Circuit Court against Linda Frye-Chaiken for breach of contract, specific performance, and promissory estoppel. The dispute arose from an agreement to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted by a jury of being a violent felon in possession of body armor after driving from Michigan into Canada without paying a toll. He was arrested by a Canadian customs agent, Officer Lavers, and…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the first case, a young woman with severe headaches due to excess brain fluid had a shunt catheter implanted. She later returned to the emergency room with worsening symptoms, and a brain scan was performed. Dr.…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2005, the defendant's infant daughter, Nakita, died while under the defendant's care. The defendant claimed Nakita was choking, but after an autopsy, the medical examiner concluded that Nakita died from shaken baby…

Justia Opinion Summary: Stephanie Wilson was driving a 2006 Saturn Ion with Malcolm Smith as a passenger when they were pulled over by a police officer surveilling a house for narcotics activity. The officer observed what he believed to be a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Stephen M. Butka was accused of groping his two stepdaughters and masturbating in front of them when they were between 13 and 16 years old. He pleaded no contest to one count of third-degree child abuse in exchange for…

Justia Opinion Summary: Cleveland Stegall was employed at an FCA vehicle assembly plant through a staffing agency, Brightwing. In late 2015, FCA announced plans to eliminate Stegall’s shift by summer 2016. In April 2016, Stegall raised concerns…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, an employee of a subcontractor, was electrocuted while carrying a long-handled aluminum tool at a construction site. The tool either touched or came close to a high-voltage power line owned by the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted by a jury in the Allegan Circuit Court of multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct. During the trial, the presiding judge exchanged emails with the county prosecutor, expressing concerns…

Justia Opinion Summary: Dwight T. Samuels and his identical twin brother, Duane, were involved in a fight at a restaurant, leading to multiple felony charges against both. The prosecution offered a package-deal plea, requiring both brothers to…

Justia Opinion Summary: Damon E. Warner was charged with first- and second-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly assaulting his minor stepdaughter. During the investigation, Warner underwent three police interrogations, during which he…

Justia Opinion Summary: Daoud M. Janini and Feryal Janini filed a complaint against London Townhouses Condominium Association, alleging that the association failed to maintain the sidewalk by not removing snow and ice, leading to Daoud Janini's…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2021, Brian McLain filed a negligence lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, and Father Richard Lobert, alleging sexual abuse by Lobert in 1999 when McLain…

Justia Opinion Summary: Lynda Danhoff and her husband, Daniel Danhoff, filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Daniel K. Fahim, M.D., and others, alleging that Fahim and Kenneth P. D’Andrea, D.O., had committed malpractice by perforating…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1993, William E. Neilly was convicted of first-degree felony murder, felon in possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. He was sentenced to life imprisonment…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a dispute over the conditional rezoning of a property in Mayfield Township, Michigan. The property, owned by A2B Properties, LLC, had been the site of the Lapeer International Dragway since 1968.…

Justia Opinion Summary: John M. Burkman and Jacob A. Wohl were charged with bribing or intimidating voters, conspiracy to bribe or intimidate voters, and two counts of using a computer to commit a crime. The charges stemmed from a robocall they…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a dispute over no-fault personal protection insurance (PIP) benefits. Charles Williamson was injured when he was hit by a car and applied for PIP benefits from the Michigan Automobile Insurance…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute between Andrew P. Sabatine (plaintiff) and Colleen K. Sabatine (defendant) over the modification of a temporary custody order. The couple had two children and lived together in Traverse City…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a dispute over who should pay for the personal injury protection (PIP) benefits of Justin Childers, who was severely injured in a car accident. Initially, Childers' PIP benefits were covered by…

Justia Opinion Summary: Jacob Marion, a minor, was struck and injured by a train operated by Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company while he was walking down the railroad tracks listening to music. The train's conductor and engineer saw Marion…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2012, Ronald Scott was arrested and charged with various crimes. After a jury trial, he was convicted of two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and acquitted of other charges. Before trial, the prosecution…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute between Darren Findling, a professional guardian, and Auto-Owners Insurance Company. Findling was appointed as the guardian for two individuals, Mary Ann Malloy and Dana Jenkins, who were…

Justia Opinion Summary: Two employees, Richard Miller and Brent Whitman, filed a lawsuit against the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), alleging they were terminated in retaliation for their close friendship with Cedric Griffey, a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a dispute between Long Lake Township and Todd and Heather Maxon. The township alleged that the Maxons were storing junk cars on their property, violating a zoning ordinance, a nuisance law, and a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Daniel L. Renner, a groundskeeper for Saginaw County, Michigan, who was part of a bargaining unit represented by the Technical, Professional, and Officeworkers Association of Michigan (the Union).…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Pegasus Wind, LLC's request for variances to construct eight additional wind turbines near the Tuscola Area Airport. The Tuscola Area Airport Zoning Board of Appeals (AZBA) denied the variances,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Michigan Supreme Court, in a per curiam opinion, addressed the applicability of the Recreational Land Use Act (RUA) and the owner-liability provision of the Michigan Vehicle Code to a case involving a fatal off-road…