Friday, June 15, 2012

Krystal Crittendon Demonstrates Courage of Her Conviction

photo: Detroit Free Press
Update 29-JUN-12: Crittendon silent on whether she will drop legal challenge; $28 million in jeopardy (Detroit Free Press)

Update 22-JUN-12:  Detroit attorney Krystal Crittendon expected to survive City Council vote today on her firing (Detroit Free Press): Mayor Bing asked the City Council to fire her. The council will vote later.. A two-thirds vote is required to pass Bing's request. At the moment, it appears unlikely to pass, according to Charles Pugh, Council President.

Keep in mind, Bing initially supported Crittendon's lawsuit, apparently until it complicated his life too much, and then he cravenly turned his back on her. Keep in mind, too: Crittendon opposed the new provision in the revised city Charter that allows corporation counsel to independently pursue lawsuits. According to the Free Press, "Crittendon argued against the changes, foreseeing that the extraordinary powers could force actions that put the mayor's trust of the city's top lawyer at risk."

Update 13-JUN-12: Ingham County Circuit Judge William Collette dismissed Crittendon's lawsuit. Cheers for Krystal Crittendon for sticking with it until the bitter end, where she faced the feckless Mayor, all lawyer-ed up with private counsel, in court.

Here is the letter she wrote to her staff before Collette dismissed her lawsuit: http://www.freep.com/assets/freep/pdf/C4189435517.PDF

Crittendon should stand her ground. Krystal Crittendon, corporation counsel for the City of Detroit filed a lawsuit that asserts the Consent Agreement with the state, agreed to by Mayor Bing and five members of the City Council, is unenforceable because the agreement was made with an entity in default: the State of Michigan. Crittendon contends that the state is in arrears on its sales tax revenue sharing obligation to the city -- an obligation agreed to by former Governor John Engler and former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer back in 1997. According to Crittendon, the city, per city charter restrictions, has no authority to enter into further agreements with the state while the state remains in default on these obligations, which amount to $224 million by Crittendon's account.


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