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Safety
Sheriff Dyer Says It Is Her “Right” To Appoint Former Romantic Partner to HR Position
by P.D. Lesko
County Sheriff Alyshia Dyer illegally used discretionary appointments rather than a public, open hiring process to fill positions in her dept. Dyer appointed a Dir. of Innovation, a Dir. of Operations and a Dir. of HR and…
Washtenaw County Sheriff Appoints Former Romantic Partner to Head HR and Training
4/8/25: Updated with a comment from Sheriff Alyshia Dyer.
by P.D. Lesko
Sheriff Alyshia Dyer appointed Jeremiah Richardson as her Dept.'s HR and training manager. Richardson and Dyer were romantic partners, as well as patrol…
Sheriff’s Data Show Since $1.2M Grant to Supreme Felons, Inc for “Violence Interruption,” Crime is Up in the Group’s “Neighborhood Watch”…
by P.D. Lesko
Billy Cole, President and CEO of non-profit Supreme Felons, Inc. doesn't want to talk about the rising crimes rates in the areas where his neighborhood watch teams patrol. He doesn't want to talk about the fact that in…
Judge Voluntarily Disqualifies Herself in Response to Newspaper’s Motion to Disqualify
Motion to Disqualify JudgeDownload
by P.D. Lesko
On Feb. 18, 2024, the newspaper received an email from Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Tracy E. Van den Bergh's clerk stating that, in response to a Motion to Disqualify…
Court of Appeals Reverses Local Judge Who Sentenced Defendant to 22-37.5 Years After “Disrespectful” Behavior During Hearings
Note: This is one in a series of articles about the Washtenaw County Trial Court and cases where a litigant or litigants appealed a County Trial Court judge’s ruling. The majority of local Trial Court rulings are upheld by…
Bill Co-Sponsored in 2023 By Washtenaw County House Reps. to Ban Conversion Therapy Survives Federal Challenge
by Anna Liz Nichols, Michigan Advance
In 2023, Washtenaw County House Reps. Felicia Brabec, Jimmie Wilson, Jr., Carrie Rheingans, Jennifer Conlin and Jason Morgan (along with other Michigan Reps.) co-sponsored House Bill 4616 of 2023…
Why We’re Suing the University of Michigan on Behalf of Banned Pro-Palestinian Protesters
by Ramis J. Wadood
The constitutional right to speak and protest freely is fundamental to a well-functioning democracy, particularly at public universities where diversity of thought, civic engagement, and vigorous debate about ideas…
Former County Sheriff Conducted Secret Investigation of Free Speech and Free Press at the Request of Local Trial Court Judge
Download and read the Sheriff's Dec. 2023 secret investigation Case Report prepared for Judge Tracy Van den Bergh.
Washtenaw Co. Sheriff Report - Judge Van Den Bergh Report 12.18.2023Download
by P.D. Lesko
1/28/25 Correction:…
Michigan ACLU Sues ICE to Obtain Records for Immigrants Being Held in Michigan Jails
by Ann Mullen
The ACLU of Michigan and the national ACLU filed a federal lawsuit on Jan. 22 to force U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Michigan county jails it contracts with, to release records about detained…
Progressive Michigan to Pay $61M to Customers to Avoid Class Action Suit
Policyholders to receive compensation for unpaid taxes and fees
Progressive Marathon Insurance Company and Progressive Michigan Insurance Company have agreed to pay $61 million to resolve two proposed class action lawsuits in Michigan.
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