Dana's Dispatch: federal ruling on abortion drug, man sentenced for dog fighting, used vehicle consumer alert, & more

[logo]( Nessel: Despite federal ruling, abortion medication remains legal in Michigan Competing rulings by federal judges in Texas and Washington on Friday plunged the future of mifepristone, a key abortion drug, into uncertainty. Photo courtesy of Michigan Attorney General's Office A ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas, a Trump appointee, put a halt on government approval of the drug, potentially decimating access to medication abortion nationwide. But just minutes later, a federal judge in Washington, Obama appointee U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice, ordered the Food and Drug Administration not to make any changes that would restrict access to the drug in 17 states and D.C. that sued to expand access to mifepristone. The consequences of the rulings, at least in the short term, will be that access to mifepristone remains unchanged, because Kacsmaryk gave seven days for the federal government to appeal, which the Justice Department has committed to do. But the potential for future court battles and even U.S. Supreme Court intervention has abortion rights advocates worried about access to a drug long hailed as safe by federal regulators. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel released a statement Friday evening making it clear that despite the ruling, medication abortion remains legal and accessible in Michigan. “The clear shame and cowardice of this lone Texan judge, to issue his ruling well into the evening of Good Friday, speaks volumes about the integrity he assigned his judgment,” Nessel said. “This ruling, while an obvious judicial embarrassment, was cruelly timed for a moment when the government and good faith public servants would be at a disadvantage to respond in defense of the constitutional rights of all American women. “The way the courts are supposed to work, in the architecture of our judiciary, seismic, tumultuous change such as this, affecting the people across the entire nation, is not meant to fall to the judgment of one singular arbiter. The Supreme Court, where matters concerning decades of precedent ought be decided is notably nine jurists. These types of decisions were never meant to be made the way this ruling came from Northern Texas tonight.” Nessel urged the FDA to continue to maintain the approval of mifepristone. “Michigan will remain a safe haven for women in our region whose home state access to reproductive health care has been curbed by this ruling,” she said. [READ MORE]( Christine Fernando, Nada Hassanein and Jeanine Santucci, USA Today (April 7, 2023) Nessel: Despite federal ruling, abortion medication remains legal in Michigan Retrieved from: [Nessel: Despite federal ruling, abortion medication remains legal in Michigan](   Dickinson County man convicted of second-degree criminal sexual conduct Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Monday that Justin Harvala, 34, of Kingsford, was convicted on March 30, 2023, as a Habitual Fourth Offender for the assault of a seven-year-old girl. Harvala had been previously registered as a sex offender. The assault, which was captured on a “nannycam” by the victim’s mother, took place on February 11, 2021, at the victim’s home while her mother was in another room. Once the assault was discovered, the victim’s mother confronted Harvala, demanded that he immediately leave her home, and then called the police. The Dickinson County Prosecutor’s Office asked the Attorney General’s office to review the case. The prosecutor’s office provided the Department of Attorney General with full access to their office’s resources, such as their victim advocate, their existing case files, and their child screen so that the victim would not be required to look at the defendant in court. “I’m appreciative of the collaboration between our department and Dickinson County Prosecutor Lisa Richards in securing the conviction of a habitual offender,” Nessel said. “The Dickinson County prosecutor’s office provided tremendous resource support to our investigators, and we were able to work as a team to pursue justice for a young girl. I am also grateful to the victim and her family.” [READ MORE]( TV6 News Team, TV6 (April 3, 2023) Dickinson County man convicted of second-degree criminal sexual conduct Retrieved from: [Dickinson County man convicted of second-degree criminal sexual conduct](   Nessel joins 16 states urging Supreme Court to prohibit threats of violence Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a bipartisan coalition of 16 states in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting states’ efforts to protect their residents from violent threats. Photo courtesy of WILX News 10 The brief was filed in support of Colorado in Counterman v. Colorado, which is pending with the Supreme Court. The case involves a Colorado man who was convicted of stalking a local singer-songwriter after he sent her threatening messages, including death threats, over the course of two years. The question before the Supreme Court is whether the man’s statements were protected speech and could not be used to convict him. The man argues that a state is required in criminal cases to prove that he intended to frighten the victim; whereas, Colorado argues a jury can look to context to determine whether the threat was a so-called “true threat.” Nessel said. “Messages like those sent by the defendant in this case can have no other purpose than to terrorize the recipient. Speech that expresses a serious intent to do harm to another person is not protected by the First Amendment. I stand firmly with my colleagues in asking the Supreme Court to allow states to protect their residents from the harm of threats of violence.” [READ MORE]( WILX News 10 (April 3, 2023) Nessel joins 16 states urging Supreme Court to prohibit threats of violence Retrieved from: [Nessel joins 16 states urging Supreme Court to prohibit threats of violence](   Michigan man gets probation for dog fighting after 3 found with injuries A Michigan man has been sentenced to two years of probation after three dogs were found at his residence with injuries consistent with dog fighting. Kevin Warren, 52, of River Rouge, pleaded guilty to the charges. His sentence also includes cognitive therapy and $1,580.82 in restitution to be paid to the Michigan Humane Society. He is not allowed to own dogs during his probation. In 2020, a complaint was made to Michigan Humane Society about possible dog fighting involving Warren and dogs at his residence. A search of his residence on Sept. 2, 2020, revealed three dogs with physical injuries consistent with fighting. An uninjured puppy was also seized from his residence; he was too young to fight. There were supplements at the residence presumably used to treat wounds. A search of Warren’s Facebook accounts showed communications dating back to March 2019 relating to breeding and selling dogs for fighting. “Dog fighting is a cruel and brutal practice that has nothing to do with sport,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. “In Michigan we are going to prosecute the violent training and fighting of dogs as both the inhumane treatment of animal life that it is as well as the needless and vicious threat to public safety it imposes on our neighborhoods.” [READ MORE]( Justine Lofton, MLive (April 5, 2023) Michigan man gets probation for dog fighting after 3 found with injuries Retrieved from: [Michigan man gets probation for dog fighting after 3 found with injuries](   AG Dana Nessel joins coalition defending Affordable Care Act birth control coverage Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a coalition of 21 other attorneys general working to defend contraceptive coverage, according to a release sent to News 10. Photo courtesy of Michigan Attorney General's Office Nessel's office said the brief was filed in the United States Supreme Court supporting Pennsylvania in its case defending contraceptive coverage and counseling mandated under the Affordable Care Act. Nessel's office said in the brief, the attorney generals explain that states have an interest in safeguarding the ACA's birth control coverage requirement, which has benefited more than 62 million women across the country. The coalition argues that access to affordable birth control is critical to the health, well-being and economic security of the states' residents, the attorney general's office said. "For millions of women across this country, contraception is a critical part of their health care,” Nessel said. “The Affordable Care Act provides for this preventative care, and employers shouldn’t get to substitute their interests in place of a doctor’s professional judgment. The federal government should look for ways to support and promote women, not create barriers that affect a woman’s health and well-being.” [READ MORE]( News 10, WILX (April 13, 2023) AG Dana Nessel joins coalition defending Affordable Care Act birth control coverage Retrieved from: [AG Dana Nessel joins coalition defending Affordable Care Act birth control coverage](   Michigan Attorney General’s office urges caution in purchasing used cars Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office has issued an alert warning people in the state to carefully review terms of used vehicle sales prior to purchase. In a press release, Nessel’s office cautioned that purchasing used vehicles often involves strong pressure from salespeople, missing details in vehicle history, and a legally binding contract at the point of transaction. Nessel’s consumer alert urges people to use a checklist to inspect the vehicle; to find out whether the vehicle was in an accident or incurred other damage; to request the vehicle’s maintenance records; to check for open recalls at safercar.gov; and determine the vehicle’s market value prior to negotiation. “Purchasing a used vehicle is often an anxious, uneasy experience for buyers who only engage in this type of transaction every few years and aren’t often making purchases with such large price tags,” said Nessel. “Following several key tips on vehicle inspection and taking your time to thoroughly review any agreements you are signing can give buyers confidence in the process and the purchase.” [READ MORE]( WLNS (April 6, 2023) Michigan Attorney General’s office urges caution in purchasing used cars Retrieved from: [Michigan Attorney General’s office urges caution in purchasing used cars](   KEEP IN TOUCH WITH DANA: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Web Site]( Any donor history information in this email reflects what we have on file for this specific email address. 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