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County Circuit Court Judge Tosses $500M Suit Alleging Women Inmates “Injured” When Filmed During Strip Searches: “Psychological Distress Not Physical…
Note: Judge Owdziej presided over a FOIA lawsuit filed against Washtenaw County in 2024, and issued a final ruling in favor of the A2Indy in Jan. 2025.
by P.D. Lesko
A $500 million lawsuit alleging invasion of privacy, and emotional…
Washtenaw Citizens Group Urges “No” Vote on WISD 1-Mil Tax Increase
Note: 10/22/25 This article was updated with comments from CART organizer Kathy Griswold and WISD spokesperson Ashley Kryscynski.
Citizens Against Regressive Taxes (CART) is a grassroots coalition of Washtenaw County residents dedicated…
County Travel Report Reveals Staffers’ $21K Trips to Qatar, Oman and the UAE to “Foster International Trade”
by P.D. Lesko
Between Dec. 6-14, 2024, Toni Kayumi, Director of Washtenaw County's Office of Community and Economic Development, and Andrew DeLeeuw, Deputy County Administrator, took part in Michigan's Middle East and North Africa…
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell Talks About the Government Shutdown
by Rep. Debbie Dingell
So yes, we have a government shutdown, and no one should want this. Democrats have been in Washington wanting to have bipartisan discussions, but Republicans don’t want to talk. I want to remind people that the…
Yes, This is Who We Are: America’s 250-year History of Political Violence
by Dr. Maurizio Valsania
The day after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University, commentators repeated a familiar refrain: “This isn’t who we are as Americans.”
…
Asst. County Prosecutor Accused of Submitting False Financial Disclosures to Circuit Court, and Perjury
9/15/25: This article was updated with video evidence that Judge Van den Bergh read a June 2022 Sands Motion which contained evidence that Asst. County Prosecutor Marieh Tanha had allegedly lied under oath in order to hide marital assets.
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Michigan Secretary of State Set to Turn Over Michigan Voter Registration File to Feds
by Hayley Harding, Votebeat
The Michigan Department of State is trying to send along a portion of the voter registration data requested by the U.S. Justice Department, but one state official says it’s waiting for the federal…
Initially Charged With Four Felonies, Former Ypsilanti City Manager Frances McMullan Receives 90-Day Deferred Sentence and Small Fine
by P.D. Lesko
In July 2025, former Ypsilanti City Manager Frances McMullan appeared before the Hon. J. Cedric Simpson to be sentenced on what started out as a four count felony case for her use of her City of Ypsilanti credit card to…
A2Politico: Our County Courts Have the “Slows” and the Human Costs Are Staggering
by P.D. Lesko
Data collected by Michigan's State Court Administrative Office shows that the judges who serve the people of our county have seen a slight uptick in the total number of cases filed between 2021 (47,026) and 2024 (52,164).…
Michigan Republicans Look to Ban Ranked Choice Voting as Petition Drive Revs Up
House lawmakers are trying to counter a statewide campaign aimed at getting the method enshrined in the state constitution.
by Hayley Harding, Votebeat
Just as efforts to add ranked choice voting to the Michigan Constitution are…