Dana's Dispatch: medical data breach, jury duty imposter scam, security guards to stand trial, & more!

[logo]( Nessel joins brief accusing oil companies of damaging climate Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a coalition of 16 other state attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Image courtesy of WLNS The brief aims to support the City of Oakland, California and the City of San Francisco in their fight against fossil fuel companies. The cities and attorneys allege that fossil fuel companies mislead the public about the dangers of fossil fuels and climate change. The brief asks the court to uphold a federal district court’s ruling. “Protecting the health and welfare of the people of Michigan is a duty I take very seriously,” Nessel said in a statement. “The district court has correctly rejected every basis for federal jurisdiction asserted by these companies. The claims in this case fall well within the traditional areas of state regulation and I stand firmly with my colleagues in asserting that this case belongs in state court.” The brief claims that state and local governments have the right to pursue cases that may have a national-level impact, such as cases involving climate change. [READ MORE]( Wells Foster, WLNS (May 15, 2023) Nessel joins brief accusing oil companies of damaging climate Retrieved from: [Nessel joins brief accusing oil companies of damaging climate](   Nessel: Medical data targeted in Fortra data breach impacting 130 companies The state of Michigan is alerting residents to a data breach that might have impacted more than 4 million individuals. The Michigan Department of Attorney General forwarded a warning from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services saying Fortra, a cybersecurity company, was targeted in a cyberattack. The state says Procter & Gamble, Hitachi Energy, NationsBenefits and Saks Fifth Avenue are among those impacted. “Companies that handle our personal data have a responsibility to implement safety measures that can withstand cyberattacks,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said. “A breach like this one threatens to expose some of our most personal information — our health information. Heeding the advice my office has provided will help keep your personal data safe and secure.” The first attacks took place in late January, according to the state. Fortra reportedly put out an alert on Feb. 1 before releasing a security patch on Feb. 7. [READ MORE]( Fox 17, WXYZ Detroit (May 16, 2023) Nessel: Medical data targeted in Fortra data breach impacting 130 companies Retrieved from: [Nessel: Medical data targeted in Fortra data breach impacting 130 companies](   Nessel warns residents about imposter scams Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is warning residents they may be targeted by scammers claiming they are representing government entities. Image courtesy of WNEM The department received reports some Oakland County residents received missed jury duty scam calls threatening to arrest them if they don’t pay a cash bond. The bonds have reportedly been as high as $5,000. “The public should remember that delinquent jurors are never contacted by phone to pay fines for missed jury duty,” Nessel said. “You would receive a notice by mail with specific instructions on what to do next, not a demand for immediate payment under threats of jail.” Only two missed jury scams have been reported in Oakland County, according to the AG’s office. The scammer in both calls claimed to be an Oakland County sheriff’s deputy. “Residents should verify any correspondence that demands immediate payment, particularly for debts,” Nessel said. “A letter demanding payment should contain specific information about your account. If it doesn’t, it’s most likely a scam.” [READ MORE]( Julianna Metdepenningen, WNEM (May 17, 2023) Nessel warns residents about imposter scams Retrieved from: [Nessel warns residents about imposter scams](   With lawsuits stalled in Michigan, Nessel seeks Line 5 shutdown in Wisconsin After so far failing to win a legal judgment shutting down the Line 5 petroleum pipeline in Michigan, Attorney General Dana Nessel is lending her voice to a shutdown effort in Wisconsin. Image courtesy of Michigan Attorney General Nessel on Wednesday filed an amicus brief supporting the Wisconsin-based Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians of the Bad River Reservation, which last week asked a federal court in Wisconsin for an emergency shutdown after spring flooding eroded a riverbank near the pipeline on tribal land miles from Lake Superior. In the amicus brief (a term for a brief submitted by someone who isn’t party to a case but often has a stake in its outcome) before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, Nessel asked judges to “consider the People of the State of Michigan and others who will be irreparably harmed by a release of Enbridge’s oil into Lake Superior.” “As Attorney General, I owe a duty to the people of Michigan to protect all of Michigan’s waters, not only for us today, but also for future generations,” she said in a written statement Wednesday. “I will always do everything in my power to protect the Great Lakes from the threat posed by those who care more about their bottom line than about Michigan’s residents and natural resources.” [READ MORE]( Kelly House, Bridge Michigan (May 17, 2023) With lawsuits stalled in Michigan, Nessel seeks Line 5 shutdown in Wisconsin Retrieved from: [With lawsuits stalled in Michigan, Nessel seeks Line 5 shutdown in Wisconsin](   Taylor nurse accused of falsifying records of nursing home patient who fell, died Patricia Lynn Nash, 41, was working at a nursing home facility where a patient fell and later died, according to authorities. Nash, a registered nurse, is accused of falsifying two neurological assessments for the patient. The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs had requested the patient’s medical records as part of the death investigation. “Falsifying medical records is often intended to conceal patient neglect,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. “Such conduct misleads subsequent caregivers as well as oversight officials and can have disastrous consequences for patients, which is why we take such allegations extremely seriously.” Nash was charged Wednesday, May 17, with two counts of health care provider intentionally placing false information on a medical chart. Each count is a four-year felony. [READ MORE]( Derick Hutchinson, WDIV ClickOnDetroit (May 18, 2023) Taylor nurse accused of falsifying records of nursing home patient who fell, died Retrieved from: [Taylor nurse accused of falsifying records of nursing home patient who fell, died](   Former Northland Mall security guards will stand trial for involuntary manslaughter in connection with 2014 death Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Wednesday that a judge has ordered to trial a case involving a 2014 incident where a man died as the result of a group of Northland Mall security guards pinning him to the floor in an attempt to restrain him. Image courtesy of Michigan Attorney General Lucius Hamilton, John Seiberling, Gaven King and Aaron Maree -- formerly private security guards -- were bound over to Oakland County Circuit Court in connection with the 2014 death of MacKenzie Cochran at the Northland Mall. Each faces one count of involuntary manslaughter, a 15-year felony. In Sept. 2014, the Oakland County Prosecutor declined to bring criminal charges against any of the five security guards. Nearly six years later, in early 2020, Cochran's family asked the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office to take a second look at the case. It was then referred to the AG, who's Public Integrity Unit conducted further investigation, interviewed additional witnesses and obtained more evidence -- all of which led to the current charges. "It has been clear through our review of this case that justice would require criminal charges and a trial," AG Nessel said in a news release. "I am grateful for the efforts of the family of MacKenzie Cochran, and the diligent work of the prosecutors in my department, to bring this case to trial despite the intervening years." [READ MORE]( WWJ Newsroom (May 17, 2023) Former Northland Mall security guards will stand trial for involuntary manslaughter in connection with 2014 death Retrieved from: [Former Northland Mall security guards will stand trial for involuntary manslaughter in connection with 2014 death](   Calhoun Co. man sentenced to prison for 2 sexual assault cold cases A Hartford man will spend years behind bars after he admitted to two separate sexual assault charges. 33-year-old Logan Fields pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, last December. A judge sentenced Fields to 15-30 years in prison for the first-degree charge and eight months to two years for the fourth-degree charge. The Michigan Attorney General’s office says Fields started abusing a 16-year-old in 2009 and continued to do so until 2012. This resulted in the first-degree guilty plea. The Calhoun County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) team found out about that victim while investigating a separate 2012 sexual assault case involving Fields, for which he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. “Our SAKI units throughout the state are uniquely qualified to close these long cold sexual assault cases and stop multiple offenders from making victims of more Michigan residents,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. “I’m thankful for the team in Calhoun County who worked toward these convictions and, as always, we hope this allows some closure for the survivors.” [READ MORE]( Megan Viecelli, Fox 17 West Michigan (May 20, 2023) Calhoun Co. man sentenced to prison for 2 sexual assault cold cases Retrieved from: [Calhoun Co. man sentenced to prison for 2 sexual assault cold cases](   State attorney general supports federal ban to sell handguns to those under 21 Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined other attorneys general in supporting a federal ban on gun sales. Image courtesy of News Channel 3 The coalition of 18 attorneys general was formed in support of prohibiting the sale of handguns and handgun ammunition by federally-licensed retailers to individuals under the age of 21, according to the Michigan Department of Attorney General on Friday. "This prohibition is a common-sense restriction much like those that I have championed in Michigan since my first term," Nessel said. "It stands to reason that anyone who is too young to legally purchase alcohol should also be restricted from purchasing a firearm. I gladly join my colleagues in supporting this rule to help protect the public from the harmful effects of gun violence.” Although regulations vary based on each state’s needs, virtually every state has imposed some form of age-based regulations on firearms, and at least 19 states and the District of Columbia have imposed regulations mirroring the federal minimum age requirement of 21 to purchase handguns, according to Nessel. [READ MORE]( Samantha May, News Channel 3 (May 19, 2023) State attorney general supports federal ban to sell handguns to those under 21 Retrieved from: [State attorney general supports federal ban to sell handguns to those under 21](   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. If you have donated with a different email address, with a check, or with a spouse – thank you so much. We have that on file and cannot thank you enough for your support. Paid for by Friends of Dana Nessel Friends of Dana Nessel P.O. Box 11141 Lansing, MI 48901 United States If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please [unsubscribe](.