© 2024 Interlochen
CLASSICAL IPR | 88.7 FM Interlochen | 94.7 FM Traverse City | 88.5 FM Mackinaw City IPR NEWS | 91.5 FM Traverse City | 90.1 FM Harbor Springs/Petoskey | 89.7 FM Manistee/Ludington
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Judge undecided on charges against Inman

Michigan House of Representatives

 

The federal judge overseeing the trial of State Rep. Larry Inman, R-Williamsburg, is undecided on his court’s jurisdiction, wavering on whether some charges against the representative are federal issues or not.

Chief Judge Robert Jonker considered a motion to dismiss the charges against Inman in Grand Rapids Friday.

 

Inman is facing charges of soliciting a bribe, extortion and lying to the FBI. His attorney Chris Cooke filed the motion and argued that those charges aren’t in the federal court’s jurisdiction.

Inman’s vote and any campaign contributions he received are state issues and should be handled by a state court, Cooke said.

Jonker gave the defense and prosecuting attorneys 21 days to file briefs in support of their sides. They'll also have another 14 days to respond to each other. 

“I think the (federal) court can draw this line,” Cooke said. “It’s not the territory the federal government should be involved in.”

The judge leaned to dismiss that motion and let a jury answer the question. Jonker said he’s concerned with the precedent it would set if federal prosecutors start pouring over state campaign contributions.

“I’m concerned about what represents a slippery slope,” Jonker said. “That would thrust the federal court into a lot of state supervisory authority.”

Some campaign contributions are protected under the First Amendment after the Citizens United vs. FEC ruling, Jonker said.

U.S. Attorney Chris O’Conner wants the motion dismissed and said the fact that campaign contributions were tied to Inman’s vote makes it a federal crime.

“The quid pro quo turns this from lawful… to unlawful,” he said. “There is nothing protected about a campaign contribution tied to a vote.”

In the meantime, Inman plans to return to the Michigan House of Representatives in September, Cooke said.

 

Max came to IPR in 2017 as an environmental intern. In 2018, he returned to the station as a reporter and quickly took on leadership roles as Interim News Director and eventually Assignment Editor. Before joining IPR, Max worked as a news director and reporter at Michigan State University's student radio station WDBM. In 2018, he reported on a Title IX dispute with MSU in his story "Prompt, Thorough and Impartial." His work has also been heard on Michigan Radio, WDBM and WKAR in East Lansing and NPR.