Law Office Moves into Bigger and Nicer Space

The Law Offices of Todd J. Stearn, P.C. officially moved its offices into a bigger and nicer space located at 17000 W. Ten Mile Rd., 2nd Floor, Southfield, MI 48075. Todd will continue to represent clients in a variety of litigation matters including personal injury, criminal defense and business litigation. The new office is conveniently located near I-696, the Southfield Fwy and the Lodge Fwy. Call Todd to set up a time to come visit his new offices.

Justice Marilyn Kelly Elected Chief Justice

In a vote that signals the days of a splintered Michigan Supreme Court are far from over, a 4-3 majority chose Marilyn Kelly to serve as chief justice for the next two years. Republican Justices Maura D. Corrigan, Robert P. Young Jr. and Stephen J. Markman -- the remainder of what Weaver had previously dubbed the "majority of four" -- dissented. The fourth member of the group had been Clifford W. Taylor, who was chief justice when he lost his re-election bid to the court's newest justice, Diane M. Hathaway, in November.

9 Year Conservative Era Ends on Michigan Supreme Court

Conservatives' nine-year reign on the Michigan Supreme Court ended this week when Republican Chief Justice Clifford Taylor worked his last day, clearing the way for a more liberal judge who beat him in the November election. Democrat Diane Hathaway's swearing-in next week likely will lead to different rulings by the high court, but it remains unknown if the shift will be sweeping or narrow. GOP justices still hold a 4-3 advantage, and the outcome in key cases will be controlled by a swing justice: Republican Elizabeth Weaver. She typically rules against criminal defendants yet is less likely to vote with conservatives to restrict lawsuits filed by injured motorists, workers and environmentalists. With the change in power nearing, the court in December issued a number of decisions earlier than normal. Justices ruled in 19 of 23 cases they heard since the term began in October. Seven were 4-3 rulings with Taylor and three Republicans in the majority and Weaver and two Democrats in the minority.

Stearn Wins Criminal Case

The Law Offices of Todd J. Stearn scored another victory last week when the Livingston County Prosecutor's Office dropped a charge of reckless driving against one of Stearn's clients. Stearn stated, "My client was not guilty and we persuaded the Prosecutor's Office that it would be very difficult to prove their case even though they had threatened to bring more than 20 witnesses to testify at trial." Reckless driving has a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail, an automatic suspension of a driving license and carries six (6) points on a driving record.

New Supreme Court Justice

Incumbent Chief Justice Clifford Taylor of the Michigan Supreme Court conceded defeat to his challenger, Democratic nominee Diane Hathaway. Hathaway's win signals a major shake-up, reducing a 5-2 Republican majority to 4-3 on the state's highest court, where one of the Republican-nominated justices, Elizabeth Weaver, has been a frequent dissenter from majority opinions. Taylor is the first sitting Supreme Court justice to lose his seat since Republican nominee Dorothy Comstock Riley ousted Thomas Giles Kavanagh in 1984. He is the first sitting chief justice defeated at the polls since statehood.

Since Cliff Taylor has been on the Court, the Republican dominated court has frequently trounced on individual's rights in favor of big business and insurance companies. The Court has made it much more difficult for injured victims to collect for injuries suffered in car accidents, slip and falls and from medical malpractice.

Worker's Compensation Update

On October 1, 2008 the Michigan Supreme Court decided a new case entitled Lofton v. Autozone, Inc. The Court decided that the worker's compensation magistrate will now compute wage loss benefits based on what the injured employee remains capable of earning. In other words, if an employee suffers a personal injury on the job and is entitled to benefits, the judge will reduce the amount he or she is entitled to based upon what the employee should be able to earn in other employment. This means that a person that was earning $15.00 per hour as a physician's assistant who cannot go back to work as a PA, but who can go back to work flipping burgers for $6.00 per hour, may have his or her wage loss benefits reduced by $6.00 per hour.

Dog Bite Verdict

Todd J. Stearn received a generous jury verdict for a client who was injured by an unprovoked dog bite. An Oakland County jury took less than an hour to award a significant amount of money to a Royal Oak resident who suffered scarring to her calf and emotional injuries from the bite. The defense attorney had never offered any more than nuisance value to settle the case. This was yet another win for the Law Offices of Todd J. Stearn, P.C.