In a 2012 decision, the Supreme Court evaluated the constitutionality of jail policies that required all inmates, including inmates suspected of minor offenses, to undergo routine strip searches prior to their admission to the general inmate population. Several organizations comprised of jail officials, among others, submitted amicus curiae briefs in which they outlined the risks that accompany the admission of inmates to the general population. Deferring to their judgment and […]

What was the exact date of your first hair cut?  If you cannot remember and you are an asylum applicant, you may have just earned yourself a deportation order back to the country you were fleeing.  Under the REAL ID Act of 2005 (Act), Immigration Judges (IJ) have an “incredible” amount of power and latitude when making credibility determinations.  With the implementation of the Act, any inconsistency in an applicant’s story is reason […]

John Bieniewicz, a married father of two sons ages 9 and 13, was refereeing an adult-league soccer match in Livonia, MI on Sunday when authorities said a 36-year-old player punched him in the head, knocking him unconscious.  He passed away on Tuesday, July 1. Attorney Jim Acho was a classmate of John’s at Catholic Central High School and a close friend for 30 years. Jim explains, “He’s a fantastic human […]

Many high income earners believe they cannot contribute to a Roth IRA because of the income limitations imposed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  There is a backdoor route high income earners can take, however, to accomplish the same thing as opening a Roth IRA directly. For 2014, the income and contribution limits for a Roth IRA are as follows: Filing Status ModifiedAdjusted Gross Income ContributionLimit Married, Filing Jointly ˂ $181,000 Up to […]

On December 30, 2013, Governor Snyder signed into law Public Act 264, Michigan Invests Locally Exemption (MILE), which permits crowdfunding for small business. It is an intrastate exemption from the State of Michigan and Federal securities laws, whereby Michigan residents can invest in Michigan businesses. Crowdfunding refers to funding a company by selling a small amount of equity to a large number of investors. Michigan is one of the first […]

In many ways, Metro Detroit was built by the hopes and dreams of people from other countries.  The June 2, 2014 edition of Crain’s Detroit Business included an “American Dreamers” feature highlighting local immigrants who have had business success.  Ronald Acho, co-founder of the Firm, was nominated and selected to be recognized as one of those people. Mr. Acho’s family fled Iraq when he was four years old to escape […]

In many ways, Metro Detroit was built by the hopes and dreams of people from other countries. The June 2, 2014 edition of Crain’s Detroit Business included an “American Dreamers” feature highlight local immigrants who have had business success. Ronald Acho, co-founder of the Firm, was nominated and selected to be recognized as one of those people. Mr. Acho’s family fled Iraq when he was four years old to escape […]

Greg Grant from our Traverse City office recently defended a Michigan county prosecutor in a civil case in Circuit Court. The plaintiff in the case was a former criminal defendant who was charged with felony animal cruelty after it was alleged by a complaining witness that the plaintiff shot her dog multiple times with a pistol.  The plaintiff vehemently denied the allegations.  The plaintiff was found not guilty at the […]

In two seminal opinions, Wilkie v Auto-Owners Ins. Co. and Rory v Continental Ins. Co., the Michigan Supreme Court emphatically confirmed that insurance contracts are to be enforced by the courts “as written.”  The parties to an insurance contract remain free to waive or modify the terms of the contract by mutual consent, but one party cannot demand enforcement of an insurance contract, contrary to the mutually agreed terms, based upon that party’s unilateral belief […]

Jim Acho, a senior attorney in our Livonia office, was a guest on Ron Meyer, Jr’s show Blessed to Play on Friday, May 2, 2014. Mr. Acho spoke on sports law cases and intersecting faith and sports. The show aired on 230 affiliate radio stations throughout North America on Sirius XM 130, on IHeart Radio, and ROKU applications. To listen to an archive of the show, please visit http://blessed2play.com/show-archives.