© 2024 WEMU
Serving Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, MI
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Court Will Rule On Plea Deals For Legislators

Michigan Supreme Court
Wikipedia Media Commons
/
wikipedia.org

The Michigan Supreme Courthas agreed to decide whether prosecutors can force elected lawmakers to give up their seats as part of a plea deal.  That decision won’t come in time to determine whether a former state senator should be removed from the November ballot. 

Former state Senator Virgil Smith agreed to quit his job and not run for anything else for five years.  It was part of a plea deal reached after he shot at his ex-wife’s car.  

Smith had already resigned from the Senate when a judge threw out that part of the bargain, saying it violates separation of powers.  So, Smith filed to run for the Detroit City Council.   

The prosecutor appealed that ruling all the way up the state Supreme Court and asked for a decision before the deadline for printing ballots.  The court said no, which means arguments in the case won’t come before November.  And that likely means no decision on whether Smith is eligible to run until after the election.

Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support.  Make your donation to WEMU todayto keep your community NPR station thriving.

Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter

— Rick Pluta is the Managing Editor and Reporter for the Michigan Public Radio network.  Contact WEMU News at734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org

Rick Pluta is the managing editor for the Michigan Public Radio Network.
Related Content