2015-2016 Biennial Report of the Attorney General
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BIENNIAL REPORT of the ATTORNEY GENERAL of the STATE OF MICHIGAN for the BIENNIAL PERIOD ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2016 BILL SCHUETTE ATTORNEY GENERAL AUTHORITY PRINTED BY EDWARDS BROTHERS, INC., ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – 2017 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL To the Honorable Legislature of the state of Michigan: In accordance with the provisions of MCL 14.30, I submit the Report of the Attorney General for the biennial period of January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2016. BILL SCHUETTE Attorney General ii BILL SCHUETTE Attorney General A native of Midland, Bill Schuette graduated cum laude from Georgetown University, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service. Schuette earned his law degree from the University of San Francisco. Bill Schuette is the only Attorney General in Michigan history to have served in all three branches of government – executive, legislative, and judicial – as well as at both the state and federal levels. Bill Schuette was elected to three terms in the United States Congress. Following that, Schuette was named Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture. During that time, he and his wife Cynthia founded the Michigan Harvest Gathering, to help feed the hungry. Afterwards, Schuette was elected to the first of two terms in the Michigan Senate representing the 35th District. Upon completion of his Senate terms, Schuette was elected to the Michigan Court of Appeals and served for six years as one of 28 appellate judges in Michigan. For two years, he served as Senior Counsel at the law firm of Warner, Norcross & Judd. In 2010, Schuette was elected as Michigan’s 53rd Attorney General and was re-elected to a second term on November 4, 2014. Currently, Schuette serves as vice president of the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation and is a trustee of the Elsa U. Pardee Foundation and the Gerald R. Ford Foundation. In addition, Schuette is a Fellow of the Michigan State Bar Foundation. He is also the author of “Big Lessons from a Small Town,” a practical collection of lessons on public service and leadership. Schuette and his wife Cynthia are the parents of two children. CAROL L. ISAACS Chief Deputy Attorney General Chief Deputy Carol Isaacs received a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University and a Juris Doctorate degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Lansing, Michigan. She was admitted to practice law in 1993 and became Chief Deputy Attorney General in 2003. Prior to becoming Chief Deputy, Ms. Isaacs served in the legislature and in the execu tive branch and was responsible for developing legislation and policy that had major social and economic consequences for the People of Michigan. AARON D. LINDSTROM Solicitor General Originally from Jackson, Michigan, Aaron Lindstrom is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served in the Army for five years on active duty as a cav alry officer. After completing his service, he graduated from the University of Chicago Law School and clerked for the Hon. Jeffrey S. Sutton of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He then worked in the appellate and constitutional law practice group of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Washington, D.C. office, before returning to Michigan and continuing his appellate practice at Warner Norcross & Judd in Grand Rapids. He joined the Michigan Department of Attorney General in 2012 and was appointed Solicitor General in 2013. Aaron and his wife Sharon have four children. As Michigan’s 11th Solicitor General, Aaron represents Michigan in the United States Supreme Court, in the Michigan Supreme Court, and in other appellate courts and oversees appellate matters for the state and its agencies. TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter of Transmittal ...................................................................................................ii Attorneys General of the State of Michigan..............................................................xi Chief Deputy Attorneys General of the State of Michigan.....................................xiii Solicitors General of the State of Michigan ............................................................xiv Register of the Department of Attorney General......................................................xv Thumbnail Sketches of Assistant Attorneys General .............................................xvii Prosecuting Attorneys ................................................................................................lv Department of Attorney General Organization Chart .............................................lvii Opinion Policy ..........................................................................................................lix Formal Opinions .........................................................................................................1 Executive Office .......................................................................................................71 Child and Family Practice Group Reports................................................................73 Divisions: Child Support; Children and Youth Services; Corporate Oversight; and Health Care Fraud Civil Rights and Civil Litigation Practice Group Reports .......................................78 Divisions: Civil Litigation, Employment and Elections; and Civil Rights Consumer Protection Practice Group Reports..........................................................81 Divisions: Consumer Protection; and Licensing and Regulation Criminal Justice and Victim Rights Practice Group Reports ...................................84 Divisions: Criminal; Criminal Appellate Environment and Real Property Practice Group Reports.........................................87 Divisions: Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture; Public Administration; and Transportation State Government Practice Group Reports...............................................................91 Divisions: Finance; Health Education and Family Services; and State Operations State Regulatory Practice Group Reports .................................................................97 Divisions: Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement; Labor; Public Service; and Revenue and Collections ix Solicitor General Reports........................................................................................103 Divisions: Solicitor General; and Opinions Child Support Division Report of Prosecutions .....................................................109 Corporate Oversight Division Report of Prosecutions...........................................252 Criminal Division Report of Prosecutions..............................................................256 Health Care Fraud Division Report of Prosecutions ..............................................320 Numerical Table of Formal Opinions .....................................................................326 Index of Formal Opinions by Subject ....................................................................327 x ATTORNEYS GENERAL OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN APPOINTED DANIEL LEROY ................................................................................July 18, 1836-1837 PETER MOREY .............................................................................March 21, 1837-1841 ZEPHANIAH PLATT .........................................................................March 4, 1841-1843 ELON FARNSWORTH .......................................................................March 9, 1843-1845 HENRY N. WALKER .....................................................................March 24, 1845-1847 EDWARD MUNDY .........................................................................March 12, 1847-1848 GEORGE V. N. L OTHROP..................................................................April 3, 1848-1850 ELECTED WILLIAM HALE .............................................................................................1851-1854 JACOB M. HOWARD.......................................................................................1855-1860 CHARLES UPSON ...........................................................................................1861-1862 ALBERT WILLIAMS ........................................................................................1863-1866 WILLIAM L. STOUGHTON...............................................................................1867-1868 DWIGHT MAY ................................................................................................1869-1872 BYRON B. BALL1...........................................................................................1873-1874 ISAAC MARSTON..............................................................................April 1, 1874-1874 ANDREW J. SMITH.........................................................................................1875-1876 OTTO KIRCHER..............................................................................................1877-1880 JACOB J. VAN RIPER......................................................................................1881-1884 MOSES TAGGERT ...........................................................................................1885-1888 STEPHEN V. R. TROWBRIDGE2........................................................................1889-1890 BENJAMIN W. HOUSTON ..............................................................March 25, 1890-1890 ADOLPHUS A. ELLIS ......................................................................................1891-1894 FRED A. MAYNARD .......................................................................................1895-1898