Reform of East Lansing’s disorderly conduct laws involve a tangled web of concerns regarding policing, civil rights, and crowd control in a university town where students have a penchant for burning couches after big games. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott reports.
“Stephenson was acting within his authority as a police officer in trying to subdue a person who was resisting lawful arrest.” So says the special prosecutor. Andrew Graham reports.
East Lansing’s Council took up many issues of equity and racism at last week’s five-hour meeting, including passing an anti-bias law and authorizing the use of $153K for anti-racism training.
The plan will create a new branch within ELPD to respond to things like mental health crises, neighbor conflict resolution, and quality of life complaints.
Instead of the Jackson County prosecutor – a Republican – functioning as the Special Prosecutor – now the case will be reviewed by the Washtenaw County prosecutor – a Democrat. Stephenson’s lawyer is concerned “that a fix is in.”