Dana's Dispatch: Red flag laws, illegal robocalls lawsuit, Edenville dam court filing, & more!

[logo]( Michigan 21st state to enact red flag gun laws with Whitmer’s signature Michigan is the latest to join a growing number of states across the country in signing into law a process to temporarily remove firearms from at-risk individuals, otherwise known as red flag orders. Image courtesy of MLive A throng of anti-gun violence activists, medical professionals, police, students and politicians gathered Monday, May 22, in front of Royal Oak’s 44th District Court to watch as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sign the package into law. Once in effect, Michiganders can seek temporary removal of firearms from at-risk individuals by obtaining an extreme risk protection order, the formal name for a red flag complaint. A family member, current or former partner, mental health professional or other eligible petitioner would have to file a complaint using forms created by Michigan’s State Court Administrative Office, as ordered by the state Supreme Court. The complaint would have to show whether the person at issue, called the respondent, can “reasonably be expected within the near future to intentionally or unintentionally seriously physically injure himself, herself or another individual by possessing a firearm,” per the bill’s final language. Attorney General Dana Nessel told the Monday crowd that she is already planning to travel to as many areas of the state as possible to educate members of the public, law enforcement, judges, and others “about the importance of these laws and how they can best be utilized.” “And for those in law enforcement who refuse to enforce these important orders, let me say this loudly and clearly: I will make certain that I find someone with jurisdiction who will enforce these orders,” Nessel said. [READ MORE]( Jordyn Hermani, MLive (May 22, 2023) Michigan 21st state to enact red flag gun laws with Whitmer’s signature Retrieved from: [Michigan 21st state to enact red flag gun laws with Whitmer’s signature](   AG Nessel joins national lawsuit over billions of illegal robocalls Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday she has joined a national lawsuit against an Arizona-based company and its leaders, accusing them of sending billions of illegal robocalls. Image courtesy of Michigan Attorney General The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court of Arizona following work by the nationwide Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force that includes 51 bipartisan attorneys general, Nessel's office said. The suit names Michael D. Lansky LLC, which does business under the name Avid Telecom; owner Michael Lansky; and vice president, Stacey S. Reeves. It accuses them of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule as well as other telemarketing and consumer laws. Avid Telecom, described as a Voice over Internet Protocol service provider that sells data, phone numbers, dialing software and expertise to help its customers make mass robocalls, allegedly sent or transmitted more than 7.5 billion calls to telephone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry between December 2018 and January 2023, according to the complaint. Approximately 195,332,233 of those calls were to numbers in Michigan, Nessel's office said in a statement. “In 2021, Michigan residents received more than 1.2 billion robocalls, about 500 million of which were scam robocalls,” Nessel said. “This lawsuit will hold accountable businesses and business owners who knowingly route illegal robocalls through their networks, as well as provide consumers with some relief from these intrusive calls.” [READ MORE]( Mark Hicks, The Detroit News (May 23, 2023) AG Nessel joins national lawsuit over billions of illegal robocalls Retrieved from: AG [Nessel joins national lawsuit over billions of illegal robocalls](   'Cruel exhibition of violence': Detroit man pleads guilty to torturing ex's dog, filming it A Detroit man accused of torturing his ex-girlfriend's dog and recording it has pleaded guilty to first-degree animal torture, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Wednesday. Julius Holley, 56, is accused of breaking into his ex’s home in October 2022 and stealing her property, including her Yorkshire Terrier-mix dog.  After allegedly recording videos of himself torturing the dog, he sent them to his ex, the Attorney General's Office said in a news release. The dog later was abandoned in a bucket next to a house before being rescued by Michigan Humane. Holley faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. “The torture of an animal, and for the explicit torment of those who love them, is a cruel exhibition of violence that is inherently linked with domestic violence and Michigan is well served by the law which acknowledges this link,” Nessel said. The case against Holley, who has a history of violence against women and convictions of criminal sexual conduct and domestic violence, is part of a partnership between the Department of Attorney General and the Michigan Humane to investigate and prosecute animal abuse crimes, Nessel said. “Beyond the excellent prosecutors in my department, I want to applaud the dedicated staff and swift response of both the Michigan Humane and the Detroit Police Department." The dog, according to the attorney general, is alive today. [READ MORE]( Jakkar Aimery, The Detroit News (May 24, 2023) 'Cruel exhibition of violence': Detroit man pleads guilty to torturing ex's dog, filming it Retrieved from: ['Cruel exhibition of violence': Detroit man pleads guilty to torturing ex's dog, filming it](   Nessel: Edenville dam owner knew of flaws 10 years before breach Ten years before the catastrophic failure of the Edenville dam caused over $200 million in damage in mid-Michigan in 2020, the dam’s owner knew it had a serious flaw and did nothing, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Thursday. Image courtesy of Bridge Michigan In a new filing in federal court, attorneys in Nessel’s office said the dam’s owner, Lee Mueller, was instead more focused on side projects like building a marina and organizing a music festival than solving the problems his safety engineer and federal regulators had long identified. The state has been battling in federal court to get Mueller and multiple related firms to pay for the damage ever since. On Thursday, attorneys for the state urged a federal judge in Michigan’s western district to grant summary judgment in the state’s favor and avoid a trial. "The Edenville Dam failure was a devastating tragedy for thousands in that community, and these new revelations clearly show that failure began at the very top of Boyce Hydro,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in an accompanying public statement. “We discovered an unconscionable disregard for safety and dam integrity that cost the community that relied on the security of that dam immeasurably, and it’s important we share this with the court today.” [READ MORE]( Mike Wilkinson, Bridge Michigan (May 25, 2023) Nessel: Edenville dam owner knew of flaws 10 years before breach Retrieved from: [Nessel: Edenville dam owner knew of flaws 10 years before breach](   AG Nessel and EGLE Announce Legal Action Against Schlicht Ponds Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has initiated legal action today on behalf of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) against Scott Schlicht and Schlicht Ponds, also known online as pondperfection.com, due to the company’s numerous and repeated violations of Michigan’s environmental laws. Image courtesy of Michigan Attorney General Schlicht Ponds constructs ponds for residential customers and advertises the following services: general excavation projects, pond design, construction, and maintenance, as well as dredging of bottomlands within lakes, canals, and streams in all Michigan counties. In the complaint, Nessel alleges that Schlicht Ponds performed such services at properties in several counties throughout the State of Michigan, including Genesee, Jackson, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, Roscommon, and Washtenaw Counties. In many cases, Schlicht Ponds either failed to secure a legally required permit from EGLE or obtained the necessary permit but then violated its conditions. “Michigan is home to world-class natural resources, but that will only continue to be true as long as we defend them,” said Nessel. “When people break the law and pollute our land and waterways, my office will take action to strongly enforce our environmental protection laws.” [READ MORE]( Office of Michigan Department of Attorney General (May 26, 2023) AG Nessel and EGLE Announce Legal Action Against Schlicht Ponds Retrieved from: [AG Nessel and EGLE Announce Legal Action Against Schlicht Ponds](   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. 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