Legislation would make police body camera footage unavailable to the public
A bill has been introduced in the Michigan Legislature that would exempt from public disclosure video and audio footage recorded by police body cameras. Senate Bill 634, sponsored by Sen. Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge), would amend the state’s Freedom of Information Act to exempt certain audio and video footage from being made public. Jones has said he introduced SB 634 on Dec. 3 because a policy needs to be in place to protect the privacy of individuals. According to the senator
Marijuana decriminalization in Grand Rapids withstands legal challenge
The decision of Grand Rapids voters to decriminalize marijuana possession by amending the city charter will remain undisturbed, now that the Michigan Supreme Court has declined to hear a challenge to the law’s constitutionality. In 2012, more than half of Grand Rapids voters amended the city charter and made marijuana possession a civil infraction, with fines ranging from $25 to $100. But Kent County Prosecutor Bill Forsyth challenged the amendment, claiming that voters could
Police ‘Knock-and-Talk’ Procedure Upheld by Michigan Appeals Court
A “knock-and-talk” procedure used by law enforcement, which led to a search of the defendants’ homes and the seizure of marijuana butter, did not violate the defendants’ constitutional rights, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled in a 2-1 decision. In People v. Frederick and People v. Van Doorne, the defendants had medical marijuana cards and had obtained marijuana butter. When executing a search warrant at the defendants’ homes, narcotics officers knocked, waited a few mi
Michigan Standardizes CPL Process by Eliminating County Gun Boards
As of December 1st, County Gun Boards are a thing of the past and Michigan is now a “shall issue” State. Legislation recently signed into law by Governor Snyder establishes a specific set of criteria which, if met, requires the County Clerk to issue a Concealed Pistol License (CPL). Gun Boards and the discretion they exercised are no longer a component of the licensing process. Gun Boards were three-member panels created under Michigan Law to evaluate and license applicants f