The Detroit News. November 16, 2017
Wayne commits to getting justice right
Give Prosecutor Kym Worthy some credit for taking a critical step toward getting justice right in Wayne County. Her appointment of Valerie Newman as head of the new Conviction Integrity Unit should help restore confidence that the county values justice over expediency in its handling of innocence claims.
We have been highly critical of Worthy in the past for her stubbornness in sticking by convictions even when overwhelming evidence suggested those sent to prison were innocent of the crime for which they were convicted.
The most notable example was that of Devontae Sanford, a Detroit resident who was convicted of murder as a 14-year-old and spent nine years in prison, even though someone else confessed to the crime shortly after he was locked up.
The prosecutor’s office fought to keep Sanford locked up, despite egregious errors in the investigation of the case, and what appeared to be a coerced confession.
Ironically, Newman was one of the attorneys who eventually won Sanford’s freedom in 2016.
There have been other recent wrongful convictions findings in cases out of Wayne County, prompting Worthy to form the new unit.
Newman will be tasked with reviewing convictions and investigating discrepancies in evidence that suggest the wrong person is heading to prison.
Thanks to $660,000 in additional funding from Wayne County Executive Warren Evans and the County Commission, Newman’s division will be staffed by two full-time lawyers, a project consultant lawyer, a full-time investigator, a part-time investigator and an administrative staff person.
That’s a substantial commitment to making sure justice is served.
Newman is uniquely suited for her new role. She has been investigating innocence claims for much of her career.
A graduate of Wayne State University’s law school, she spent 23 years in the State Appellate Defender Office. She’s also an adjunct professor in the University of Michigan Law School.
Her appointment is part of a welcome trend toward a more open attitude when it comes to claims of innocence. Prosecutors and police across Michigan have been too reluctant to acknowledge the possibility that they had made mistakes, but are now softening.
Earlier this year, Detroit Police Chief James Craig pledged his department’s full cooperation with the UM Innocence Clinic, which is a leading investigator of wrongful conviction claims.
Wayne County was responsible for a majority of the cases the clinic investigated, and had been the least cooperative in addressing errors. So Worthy’s appointment of Newman is a significant step.
There is a financial incentive now for paying more attention to credible claims of innocence. The state Legislature passed a law that allows those wrongfully imprisoned to petition for $50,000 for every year they were confined.
In the Sanford case, Attorney General Bill Schuette decided earlier this month not to contest his claim to the money.
But most important is the clear commitment to getting justice right in Wayne County.
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The Mining Journal. November 15, 2017
Pilot project is a good start to addressing issues
Windy days come and go, but the one that hit the region on Oct. 24 was a doozy.
The windstorm damaged park areas, took down trees and power lines and caused power outages. Most tragically, two people were presumably killed after being swept into Lake Superior off Presque Isle. Their bodies still have not been found.
That’s not surprising; the storm generated record-setting 28.8-foot wave heights and hurricane-force gusts.
Last Friday at Jamrich Hall on the campus of Northern Michigan University, the Northern Climate Network’s Climate@Noon seminar focused on the Michigan Climate and Health Adaptation Program’s pilot project in Marquette County.
One of the changes that has been documented in the area include the increased frequency and intensity of severe storms. Also, temperatures are rising, especially in winter, which results in an increase in ice and freezing rain, and spring coming earlier.
Maybe some people welcome warmer winter weather, but who wants to drive in freezing rain? That makes driving a vehicle, or even just walking, much more treacherous.
Also noted at the seminar was the fact that extreme weather events like increased flooding, storms and wildfires can lead to damage to infrastructure, property loss and contamination of a water source.
The pilot project is looking at many factors, with the goal of producing a rural climate adaptation guidebook that includes actions on how to mitigate problems like wildfire near property, for instance. Do people build more metal roofs? Do they plant trees and shrubs farther away from their homes?
Regions are unique among each other when it comes to climate change, so it stands to reason the adaptations are unique as well. Consider that much of Marquette County is near Lake Superior. The gales of November could turn into the gales of October - and even other months.
The county pilot program is a collaboration between various agencies, including the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services; Michigan State University Extension-School of Planning, Design and Construction; the Marquette County Health Department; and the Michigan Climate Adaptation Task Force.
Climate change affects people in many ways: human health, the ecosystem, the lake, etc. They are interrelated, with many factors influencing each other.
This is a case where proactivity should reign supreme. Waiting too long to address the issue could mean problems later on that can’t easily be remedied.
Even on a county level.
That’s why it’s important to take action now. Even simple steps like testing a septic tank or bicycling to work can make a difference, especially if everyone takes part.
The Michigan Climate and Health Adaptation Program’s pilot project in Marquette County is a good start. Allowing as much time as possible to prepare for a major storm event can only make it easier for all of us. With foresight, we can take the necessary precautions and send out the proper warnings to the public so that preparations can be made to hopefully lessen the impact on all of us.
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Times Herald (Port Huron). November 15, 2017
Medical bills drive auto premiums
The problem with Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance system is not unlimited personal injury protection. The problem is unlimited medical bills.
Although legislative efforts to rein in escalating premiums appears dead for now, as sure as there will be a fender-bender on Pine Grove Avenue today, someone will again propose slashing the uncapped medical coverage that every Michigan motorist now gets with his or her insurance policy. That’s the wrong approach. The proposal the state House voted down last week would have set maximum coverage levels at $250,000 and $500,000, giving drivers a choice of how much coverage they would be willing to purchase.
Drivers would have to decide both how much premium they could afford to pay and how disastrous their futures would be if they were involved in an accident.
For perspective, an unrelated study from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute examines how much car crashes cost. Commissioned by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, the study is the sixth in a series that began in 1990. It looks at both the costs of traffic crashes and major crimes.
Traffic crashes cost us more than crime - a lot more.
The monetary costs of crime statewide, in terms of medical care, future earnings lost, public services, property damage and loss, court proceeds and jail, totaled $622 million. Crashes add up to $4.6 billion. But there were a lot of crashes - half a million, compared to almost 40,000 major crimes.
In St. Clair County, average costs for drivers or passengers seriously injured in an alcohol-related crash totaled $584,757 - more than the proposed $500,000 coverage limit and more than double the lower, $250,000 limit. What would those people do when faced with such bills?
Because the injuries are typically so much more severe, the costs associated with a motorcycle accident top the scale. In St. Clair County, a motorcycle crash cost the injured rider almost $700,000.
While auto insurance premiums are rising to paying all those bills, the second thing drivers need to know before they endorse slashing coverage is that the cost of their medical care is rising faster than their premiums, according to an analysis by the Center for Michigan.
It’s not true everywhere. Michigan is not the only no-fault state.
With no limit on what doctors and hospitals may charge - and no limit on what insurers must pay - the average auto accident injury claim cost more than $75,000 in 2013. In New York and Florida, other states with mandatory no-fault coverage, the averages were $7,876 and $7,002. But those states set prices for medical care.
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Lansing State Journal. November 16, 2017
Common sense prevails on feeding homeless, Schor taps into talent with transition team
The government - often painted as “the bad guys” - had a win this week, thanks to the employment of common sense at Lansing’s Parks & Recreation Department.
At issue was whether a group of volunteers handing out sandwiches to the homeless in Reutter Park downtown needed to obtain a $200 permit to do so.
The answer? Technically, yes. In practice, not really because the city is able to waive the fee at its discretion.
Thank you, Lansing city officials, for providing the right answer for the city and its vulnerable residents. Your compromise - requiring Cardboard Prophets, a group that helps the homeless, to fill out the requisite paperwork, but waiving the permit fee - is fair and appropriate.
There are reasons for rules and regulations, including public safety, where food preparation and service are concerned. There are also reasons to waive those rules when safety concerns are minimal and the potential service to the community great.
This is a solid example of that.
Schor taps into talent with transition team
Many in Lansing will be familiar with the names on Lansing Mayor-elect Andy Schor’s transition team. And that’s a good thing.
These people have track records of public service and success in our community. We expect them to bring that experience and commitment to Lansing to an important transition from 12-year Mayor Virg Bernero’s administration to that of Andy Schor’s.
Leading the way is transition team chair Joan Bauer, a former Lansing City Council member, state representative and citizen chair of the Lansing Promise.
Joining her are six committee chairs:
Greg Ward, manager of inclusion and employee experience at Consumers Energy
Yvonne Caamul Canul, superintendent of the Lansing School District
Brian Jeffries, attorney and former City Council member
Dusty Fancher, former member of city parks board
Rina Risper, community advocate
Mark Alley, former Lansing police chief
And former mayor David Hollister rounds out the team as special adviser.
“I am grateful to these valued community leaders for dedicating their time and talent to helping ensure a smooth transition for me and my team,” Schor said.
Nice move, Mayor-elect Schor. A smooth transition is exactly what the people of Lansing deserve.
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