Court Grants Summary Disposition in Case Involving Farm Animals Running at Large

Haider Kazim and Matt Cross, both attorneys in our Traverse City office, recently successfully defended an animal control officer of a northern Michigan municipality against claims of malicious prosecution and conspiracy. The issue in was whether the officer had probable cause to issue plaintiff citations for her farm animals running at large. The focal point of plaintiff’s claim was that the first few citations were issued under a county ordinance that did not apply to farm animals. Nonetheless, the Court concluded that the officer had probable cause to issue citations based on the testimony of plaintiff’s neighbors and photographs. The Court granted summary disposition, dismissing plaintiff’s malicious prosecution and conspiracy claims.

Haider A. Kazim is a partner in our Traverse City office where he concentrates his practice on municipal law, insurance defense, and law enforcement defense and litigation. Mr. Kazim represents municipalities in matters involving zoning and land use disputes, ordinance enforcement actions, tax tribunal appeals, contract negotiation, drafting ordinances, and Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act issues.　He has successfully defended municipalities in both federal and state courts in a broad range of lawsuits involving wrongful discharge, discrimination claims, police excessive force cases, jail suicide cases, whistleblower actions, First Amendment claims and Section 1983 cases. He may be reached at (231) 922-1888 or hkazim@cmda-law.com.

Matt Cross is an attorney in our Traverse City office where he focuses his practice in the areas of insurance defense, law enforcement defense and litigation, and municipal law. Mr. Cross has experience handling employment law, personal injury defense, and municipal issues and has earned dismissals in each of these areas. He may be reached at (231) 922-1888 or mcross@cmda-law.com.