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Gov. Whitmer to appoint rst Black woman to serve on Michigan Supreme Court

By Steve Neavling

GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER announced last week that she will appoint the first Black woman to the Michigan Supreme Court.

Whitmer is selecting state Rep. Kyra Harris Bolden, D-Southfield, to fill the seat vacated by the resignation of Justice Bridget McCormack, a Democratic nominee.

With Bolden’s historic appointment, Democrats will maintain a 4-3 majority on the court.

“A state representative from Southfield, former law clerk and litigator, Kyra is passionate about the law and will be the first Black woman ever to serve on the Michigan Supreme Court,” Whitmer said in a statement. “She will bring a unique perspective to our high court as a Black woman — and as a new, working mom — that has too long been left out. Kyra is committed to fighting for justice for generations, and I know she will serve Michigan admirably, building a brighter future for her newborn daughter and all our kids.”

Bolden, who was first elected to the state House in November 2018, will join the court in January and serve a partial term expiring on Jan. 1, 2025.

Bolden said she is “incredibly honored” by the appointment and pledged to have an even hand on the court.

“I will ensure equal access to justice, apply the law without fear or favor, and treat all who come before our state’s highest court with dignity and respect,” Bolden said. “I also know that this moment – becoming the first Black woman to serve on the Michigan Supreme Court – would not be possible without leaders like Judges Shelia Johnson, Debra Nance, Deborah Thomas, Cynthia Stephens, and Denise Langford Morris. These are the Black women who blazed the path that I seek to follow. I hope that my voice on the Court will inspire future generations to pursue their dreams. I am humbled by this honor, and I am ready to get to work on behalf of all Michiganders.”

In the House, Bolden was the assistant Democratic leader and a member of the House Judiciary and Insurance committees. During her tenure, she has focused on criminal justice reform and crafted bipartisan legislation to protect survivors of sexual assault.

Before serving in the House, Bolden was a civil litigation attorney with Lewis & Munday, P.C. in Detroit. She also was a staff attorney for 3rd Circuit Court Judge John A. Murphy and served as a courtappointed criminal defense attorney for the 46th District Court in Southfield.

Bolden received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. She also has a bachelor of science degree from Grand Valley State University.

“This is a monumental day,” said Murphy, her former boss, and the longest serving Black judge in Michigan history. “Kyra Harris Bolden’s historic appointment to the Michigan Supreme Court will impact justice and fairness in Michigan for generations to come. Her experience as my judicial law clerk, litigator, and her time in the state legislature, coupled with her empathy, inquisitiveness, and sense of justice, will make her an asset to this role. Kyra is an excellent appointee and will make an excellent Justice. I look forward to seeing the impact she will make on the bench.”

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel applauded the appointment.

“The composition of our courts should reflect the population its rulings impact. I commend the Governor for selecting Kyra Bolden to serve on our state’s highest court,” Nessel said. “I know Representative Bolden to be a sincere, caring and thoughtful person who will always take into consideration the substantial impact of each and every one of her opinions. She will serve the state with integrity and humility and will do so honorably.“

The appointment was also supported by the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR).

“Governor Whitmer’s appointment of Kyra Harris Bolden to the Michigan Supreme Court marks a significant and consequential moment in the history of our state,” said MDCR Executive Director John E. Johnson, Jr. “As the first Black woman to serve in that capacity, she will bring a long-missing perspective to the deliberations of the state’s highest court. That alone makes this a monumental decision, but Ms. Bolden brings more to the table than her racial identity. Her trial experience as a criminal defense attorney, her leadership on important public policy and her dedication to justice – the legacy of her own greatgrandfather’s lynching — will inform her decisions and bring the court closer to the goal of achieving equal justice for all.”

We now know the location of Rihanna’s lingerie store Savage X Fenty

SAVAGE X FENTY, the lingerie brand owned by pop star Rihanna, has revealed the address of its upcoming Detroit location.

The store is headed to 1442 Woodward Ave., near other downtown shopping spots like H&M, Lululemon, Warby Parker, and Shinola.

That’s according to a press release sent by Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock Detroit real estate arm. The store is expected to open in 2023.

“We want to make people look good and feel good,” Rihanna said a statement in the press release. “We want you to feel sexy and have fun doing it.”

Announced earlier this year, the Detroit store joins five other new Savage X Fenty locations across the U.S., including in Chicago; Long Island, New York; Atlanta; St. Louis; and Newark, Delaware. The new stores join existing locations in Culver City, California; Arlington, Virginia; Las Vegas; Houston; and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

The brand is known for designs that are inclusive of different body types available at accessible price points. It also has a men’s line.

—Lee DeVito

Detroit considers moratorium on evictions, but not until thousands could lose their homes

DETROIT CITY COUNCIL is mulling a moratorium on evictions as the winter nears, but it will have to wait until after Jan. 1.

Residents are calling on the council to take action after Mayor Mike Duggan’s administration missed the deadline to begin providing lower-income residents with free legal representation when facing eviction.

But a moratorium won’t happen until at least January because the council is on its holiday break and won’t be back until after New Year’s Day.

By the time the council returns, more than 1,000 eviction cases are expected to go through the court system.

“We know it’s going to be a very cold winter,” Councilwoman Angela Whitfield-Calloway said at a council meeting Tuesday. “We certainly can take a stance.”

During the public comment period, supporters of a moratorium urged the council to impose a moratorium before the holiday break.

“Please stay all night and draft this ordinance,” one resident said. “Don’t wait. Do it now.”

It’s unclear why the council is waiting until after the break to impose a moratorium. The issue wasn’t on the council’s agenda and was raised by Whitfield-Calloway at the beginning of the meeting.

Council Pro Tem James Tate said any future moratorium should only apply to slumlords.

“We also have to look at it from the standpoint of landlords who are doing it the right way,” Tate said. “We should look into the conditions.”

City Council staff is expected to draft the moratorium proposal during the break.

More than 1,500 eviction cases have been filed a month over the past several months.

The Detroit City Council approved the right-to-counsel ordinance on May 10, and it was supposed to go into effect on Oct. 1. But Duggan’s administration delayed the process, saying it needed more time to work with potential vendors who want to represent low-income tenants.

Without legal representation, housing advocates say city ordinances that protect renters from slumlords are useless because many tenants can’t afford legal representation.

—Steve Neavling

SHUTTERSTOCK

Prosecutor won’t charge Detroit cops who shot Porter Burks 19 times

FIVE DETROIT POLICE officers who fatally shot Porter Burks, a 20-year-old man experiencing a mental health crisis, acted in “selfdefense” and won’t be charged with a crime, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said last week.

The unnamed officers shot Burks 19 times in three seconds after he lunged at them with a knife shortly after 5 a.m. on Oct. 2.

“This is a truly tragic case,” Worthy said. “Mr. Burks had a long history of mental illness and violent behavior and a propensity for carrying knives that had been communicated by his family to the responding officers.”

The shooting occurred after Burks’ brother called 911 and said Burks was walking around the neighborhood with a knife and having a “really bad episode.” Burks had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

When police arrived, they urged Burks to drop the knife and said they wanted to get him help. He refused to comply and eventually ran toward the officers, prompting them to fire 39 bullets at him.

An ambulance wasn’t available, so police transported Burks to the hospital, where he was declared dead.

“The police spent a significant amount of time trying to get him to drop his weapon,” Worthy said. “He suddenly ran at them with the knife and covered the distance between them in approximately three seconds. Eyewitnesses to the shooting were interviewed and indicated that the police did all that they could to de-escalate the situation before Mr. Burks charged at the police. Unfortunately, Mr. Burks was fatally shot by the officers in self-defense and defense of others.”

Detroit Police Chief James White said Worthy’s investigation “confirms that the actions of our officers were justified under the circumstances.”

But, White said, the encounter with someone experiencing a mental health crisis underscores the importance of providing additional services to help those in need.

“The death of Porter Burks remains a tragic event that continues to call attention to the need for additional resources for those suffering from mental illness,” White said. “This includes reinstituting long-term mental health treatment centers, greater awareness of behavioral health challenges and additional training. It also includes recognizing our responsibility as a community to provide support, encouragement, and assistance to individuals in mental distress.”

White added that the city is working to improve how the police department responds to people experiencing mental health illnesses.

“Enhancing and expanding mental health response and increasing crisis stabilization services remains a top priority for Mayor Duggan and the Detroit Police Department,” White said. “We will continue to work with city departments and our community partners in this endeavor.”

Attorney Geoffrey Fieger filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against the city and the five officers, alleging gross negligence, assault and battery, wanton and willful misconduct, and a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act because of Burks’s mental illness.

—Steve Neavling

QAnon adherent charged with threatening to kill a congressman and FBI director

A FLINT-AREA man who ranted about a baseless QAnon conspiracy theory was charged with making threats against a congressman and FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Neil Matthew Walter, 32, of Grand Blanc, is accused of leaving a threatening voicemail for Rep. John Garamendi, DCalif., earlier this month and days later posting a death threat against Wray on an FBI Facebook livestream video.

“John. Hey John. You’re gonna die, John. You’re gonna die,” Walter said in the voicemail on Nov. 3 at 10:53 p.m., according to an affidavit written by an FBI agent.

On a Facebook post, Walter allegedly wrote, “Director Wray is going to die every single day multiple times a day for raping my family over and over and lying to them.”

During the investigation, the FBI discovered a series of recent Facebook posts in which Walter claimed Garamendi, the FBI, CIA, actor Tom Cruise, and Twitter CEO Elon Musk were involved in a child slave rape ring, a popular QAnon conspiracy theory. On one Facebook post, he wrote that Garamendi had raped an infant to death.

“Have a nice life John, your getting put down for life bud,” Walter wrote.

When a detective knocked on Walter’s door for a welfare check on Election Day, he answered with a firearm and initially refused to drop it, according to the affidavit.

“During police contact, Walter went on a rant about kids being raped, a lawsuit with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, and how he is calling everyone all the time, but not one is doing anything about the kids,” the affidavit states.

The detective said Walter insisted he would use his gun to defend himself against the U.S. government.

Walter’s mother told investigators that her son had been previously involuntarily committed to a mental institution and was refusing to take his medication.

Threats against politicians have been on the rise, especially among supporters of former President Donald Trump.

In the past election cycle an increasing number of Republican extremists have plotted violence against Michigan Democrats.

—Steve Neavling