Schuette Withdraws Subpoenas Served To Reporters

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette is directing staff attorneys to withdraw subpoenas served to reporters for notes and materials collected in connection to a lawsuit against the Department of Corrections.

Huffington Post political reporter Dana Liebelson, in a series of social media posts, said she had been served two subpoenas last week for notes obtained “during a reporting trip on juvenile prison conditions.”

Another subpoena was served to the Ann Arbor public radio station, Michigan Radio, for audio and video recordings made during an interview with a lawyer for inmates suing the state for alleged sexual and physical abuse sustained as juveniles.

All three subpoenas are related to a lawsuit against the state involving teenage prisoners alleging sexual assault.

An AG spokeswoman says a civil service attorney followed a common legal procedure of subpoenaing information from individuals entering Michigan prisons to speak to prisoners who are suing state taxpayers. But, she says, after further review Attorney General Schuette has determined that information necessary to defending the State of Michigan can be obtained in other ways and will direct Department attorneys to withdraw the subpoenas.