The Michigan Department of Corrections will pay $80 million to settle a lawsuit with former juvenile offenders who claimed they were sexually abused in Michigan prisons between October 2010 and February 2020, state officials said Thursday.
Pending final approval April 9, the state will pay $25 million immediately, $15 million by October, $25 million by October 2021 and $15 million by October 2022.
Buy PhotoMichigan officials have settled a sexual abuse lawsuit filed by former juvenile offenders for $80 million. (Photo: Daniel Mears, The Detroit News)
State corrections officials and Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office announced the settlement with the individuals in a press release after Washtenaw County Judge Carol Kuhnke signed Thursday an order of preliminary approval.
The settlement would be the largest since the department reached a $100 million resolution in a 1996 case, Neal v. Michigan Department of Corrections, in which female prisoners alleged a pattern of sexual misconduct and harassment related to the supervision of female prisoners by male officers.
The department agreed to a $100 million settlement in the Neal case in 2009, and distributed the payments to plaintiffs between 2010 and 2015.
I’m not due for registration until May (biannual). It’ll be nice to know this might finally be over. The next thing I’d like to see is if we’re not required to register, that the next thing to change is the law allowing us to expunge our convictions. I plead guilty in 2009 to one count of using a computer to commit a crime stemming from the oh so popular sting operations. I know the only thing keeping those of us from expunging our records was the requirement to register. If that goes away, the next logical step would be finally being able to clear our names like any other crime.
Hello Everyone,
I received this email from Tim at the ACLU today, and a copy of the memorandum as well, the memorandum is in PDF form so as soon as I can figure out how to share it I will, in the mean time here is the email I got today. Him: Attached is the memo from the MSP. The local police are not required to follow it but we hope they do. As of today the MSP is not going to mail anything out to anyone because this is all up in the air. Also note that this memo and the actions of the Michigan State Police do not remove you from the registry. We do not know how this will all play out but it is the position of the MSP that they are just putting this issue on hold and will wait to see when and if a new law is written.
Respectfully Tim P ACLU of Michigan SOR Specialist
I’m not in Michigan. I did hear what was said on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am8T4Naee58
Maybe someone in Mi can FOIA the email sent to the Michigan State Police?
It looks like the State of Michigan, postponed the Betts case again, unless they postponed it again to see what happrns with Judge Cleland’s , anyone have any thoughts on this at all.
http://publicdocs.courts.mi.gov/SCT/PUBLIC/ORDERS/148981_61_01.pdf
So does anyone know if the order was filed yesterday 3-13-2020. and what exactly went down yesterday. Just curious if anyone know any thing yet or if the courts had posted the order yet. Thanks in advance.
So my wife, who enters these orders for our county, said more than likely it was delivered friday and it is sitting on a desk waiting to be filed. Depending on the case load and how many people in the office that can enter these are factors. However, when it is entered it will be dated for friday march 13. At least this is how it works in her office.
Seems to me they should be doing their negotiating within the 60 days, they had 4 years to negotiate in ” good faith” and nothing got done. This is just kicking the can down the road again. Let’s get the 60 days rolling!
ACLU wants to make the state look like the bad guy (they already are) in the eyes of the judge. They already have the W, but it’s basically turning into “Hey, we’re trying to get something done here, but these guys are f’ing around”. I can only see that helping us in the long run. The date we should all have marked on our calendar is the one where this all changes if the legislature does nothing. As much as I would like nothing to happen, the registry goes away, etc., I see that as a trap because they can write a new law down the road and they’ll get us somehow. I’m cautiously optimistic, but only time will tell.
Hi Everyone,
I just seen this on NASROL, and thought I would copy and paste and share it with you all, so here it is folks.
Tim P
While no one knows the final out come of this issue. I can be fairly sure that arrest will NOT take place if you are a member of the pre April 12, 2011 class in this action. If for some reason a local Police Dept. or Sheriffs Dept. did make an arrest the case would be thrown out once the Judge saw the order from the MSP. And while the MSP can not tell local jurisdictions what to do the memo itself would be proof of the reason the Registered Citizen did not register. (those who’s conviction happen prior to April 12,2011). While the MSP did make many mistakes in the order itself, for example not saying what things are no longer required from post April 12,2011 members of that class. (people who’s conviction happen after April 12,2011) we are confident that once the order is signed and on the record in the court this will be cleared up and that signing could take place today or soon this week. I should note that the order will NOT go into effect for 60 days from the date it is on the record in the court. Of course there is a slim chance the State will start working to rewrite the law and then of course it will have to be constitutional.
Tim P ACLU of Michigan SOR Specialist
@ Roger …. or sneeze in hand and hand them dirty pricks the i.d 🙂
@ WillAllen …Ha ha ha … Now That I do like 🙂 🙂 🙂
I would rather stay on the registry for life than to knowingly go in and infect someone with covid19 and have them possibly die or spread it to someone else that would die. I think it is pathetic to suggest this. Its not the person who takes your info or their loved ones responsible for this. Even if it were i dont see how it rises to a potential death sentence
@ Bill … that’s your opinion , in my opinion your a fool to think YOU would say something so stupid .That’s how they get away with registries people like YOU.
To all members reading this…
A new bill has been introduced on March 17, 2020 into the Michigan legislation based on Sex Offender Registry cataloged under HB 5679 of 2020.
All I can do is shake my head over it.
Can someone tell me why the State of Michigan is letting a 30 year old kid, from Ionia, re write the registry act??? Did he read or hear anything that Judge Cleland ruled unconstitutional?? He was still in diapers when the registry came out in Michigan. I sure hope Cleland and the ACLU puts their foot down on this trash.. Just because you grew up in a prison city, doesnt mean you know everything. What is your reasonings behind this bill?? Oh Wait it’s an election year, somebody must be trying to get re elected…
So I was just wondering if anyone besides my self thinks there will be another stall tactic or we need more time because of the virus excuse tomorrow. I just hope the judge finally signs the order and this thing finally comes to an end. Does anyone else have any thoughts on what will or might happen tomorrow.
Has anyone heard anything today, of whether Judge Cleland has signed the order and accepted the notice and final judgment language from the ACLU and State attorneys? Just curious. Peace.
Hello all,
A couple of things I was wondering about, did anyone else get this in their email box tonight.
1) Many of you have heard the disappointing news. Michigan representative James Lower has introduced House Bill 5679 (http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2019-2020/billintroduced/House/pdf/2020-HIB-5679.pdf) which would revise the current Michigan’s sex offense registry law. It has been placed in the House Judiciary Committee. It is disappointing because this bill is not very different from the current law. It contains few changes, apparently trying to satisfy Judge Cleland’s order asking for a new law in 60 days or else he would take pre-2011 offenders off the registry, and make certain other parts of the registry non-enforceable for everyone else. The old registry law was declared unconstitutional, and it is likely that the new law still would be. Below are a few notes from Tim at the ACLU. I am waiting for some direction from the ACLU next week on how we can best proceed to advocate for ourselves. When I hear something that will be useful to you I will pass it on.
Tim, ACLU of Michigan SOR Specialist, has said “The ACLU will do all in it powers to get a bill we can live with. While their can be no guarantee of what the out come will be, our legal team and our legislative team are doing their best. We have not and will not give up”. He also wrote, “The 60 day order is going to change because the Covid 19.”
2) Also has anyone checked the registry tonight? I have been checking every 1/2 half hour so far and get some weird page. I have tried OTIS and Michigan Department of Corrections and the State Police site and keep getting the same page. how about anyone else.
Absolutely pathetic. The ACLU, whose raison d’etre in 2020 appears to be suing schools to force transgendered males into women’s sports, makes money off of sex offenders. How? Suing states, municipalities, etc. where registry statutes overstep constitutional boundaries, dragging the cases out as long as possible, earning Pyrrhic victories, and getting tax payers to fund every billable hour they rack up. They don’t care about us or our families. Don’t be fooled. We keep their lights on.
In no other country is there anything like the American registry. The ACLU has utterly failed to do anything about it. We can’t rely on them, or woke University law students. We need to sue, repeatedly, over the registry being cruel and unusual punishment.
I can’t believe another delay because of the covid-19! They had years to do this and all this does is stop us in our tracks at a time we need answers. I’m stuck in a motel because of the registry (But I’m thankful for having a roof over my head) and I need to move if things get bad. It almost feels like who cares about us in all of this. we have restriction on our movement and that’s not good at these times and then they want to delay again. And why if where not required to register are we still on the web site. It’s a cat and mouse game they keep playing with us and I don’t know about you but I am freaking tired of it. If something happens and I have to leave I will go without telling them since I don’t have to register. I was told when I made sure I didn’t have to register that I did not have to. Well what if I was coming in to let them know my address had changed. They can not make me non compliant. So screw them.
So if I’m correct the bill introduced does nothing to take care of the expost facto right? Also no one before 2006 should have any of the restrictions on them correct? So how does this bill do anything the judge declared is unconstitutional? I guess I’m not understanding what is going on with this bill.
Thanks, everyone for the updates, all this putting it off week after week and using covid-19 as an excuse is stupid. We won already they need to stop kicking the can down the road already. Who wants to bet it will get postponed again next week and the excuse will be the virus again.
Just another EXCUSE … What is funny is, they talk about protecting the public ???? Look at what is going on today in this country ?? They cant even protect them selves from them selves ??? S*%t is a joke .These registries do NOTHING but put peoples lives in DANGER ! Just more B.S is all. ANother way for them to try to trap as many as they can. Michigan Legislators You Suck !
Michigan will be on lockdown for two weeks come midnight tonight. Gov. Whitmore announced it around 1100. I can see this working in Michigan’s plan.
Once again, shaking my head…
They will get yet another extension due to the fact that only essential businesses like banks, grocery markets, and doctors offices/hospitals will be open. Will they consider the legislation essential?
Been a while since I posted. I haven’t tried since the corona thing,,, but just before it I had to get a new plate for my pickup,, old one was separating. They would not even take the new plate number at the state police station because I was pre 2011. I was very reluctant to just walk out. The officer at the desk made a note in my “case notes” and printed it out and gave it to me finally but he would not enter the new plate into the computer.
Also,,, even if they take a month to get the order signed,,,, it should still be dated March 12th,,, I’m not an attorney but I believe it COULD be done that way especially given the extraordinary amount of time it’s taking past the 12th.,,, now past the 20th,,, I believe if both parties agree then making the effective date 12 March would be permitted ,, if anyone who knows anything about all this is monitoring these posts,,,,,, Updates please!!!! Maybe another ACLU call or something to fill us in on what’s happening would be nice. Pretty please with sugar on it.
God bless everyone!!!