A LEGACY OF SUCCESS
The Legacy of Success of the Great Lakes Justice Center Founders.
Moises Sanchez-Llamas v. State of Oregon
January 30, 2006United States Supreme Court. Summary: Whether the Judgment of the International Court of Justice Creates an Irreconcilable conflict with Well Established Constitutional Doctrines of Criminal Procedure?
In Re: Pastor Ake Green
November 29, 2005Supreme Court of Sweden. William Wagner represented Focus on the Family, Alliance Defending Freedom, Family Research Council, Christian Legal Foundation, and Jubilee – USA. The question before the court was whether the Swedish government’s suppression of a pastor’s religious expression unlawfully infringed upon fundamental freedoms guaranteed under treaties ratified by Sweden? The Court ruled in the pastor’s favor and he was released from prison.
United States v. Extreme Associates
November 1, 2005Federal Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit. William Wagner represented Focus on the Family, the Family Research Council, Alliance Defending Freedom, and Alan Sears as Former Executive Director of the Meese Commission. Summary: Whether the District Court Erred In Striking Down Federal Statutes Prohibiting The Commercial Distribution Of Obscene Materials?
Medellin v. Dretke
February 4, 2005United States Supreme Court. William Wagner represented Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. Summary: Whether a Court of the United States should give Effect to an International Court of Justice Judgment Inconsistent with a Prior Decision of the U. S. Supreme Court?
Ashcroft v. State of Oregon
December 6, 2004United States Supreme Court. William Wagner represented Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. Summary: Whether the Federal Controlled Substances Act Pre-empts Oregon Law authorizing Physicians to Dispense Drugs to Assist in the Killing of a Human Being?
Gonzalez v. State of Oregon
April 2, 2004United States Supreme Court. William Wagner represented Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. Summary: Whether the Federal Controlled Substances Act Pre-empts Oregon Law authorizing Physicians to Dispense Drugs to Assist in the Killing of a Human Being?
Ashcroft v. ACLU
November 10, 2003United States Supreme Court. William Wagner represented Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. Summary: Whether the Child Online Protection Act is Constitutional?
Parental Rights Statute Passed
March 25, 1995Michigan Legislature. David A. Kallman worked with the Michigan Legislature to pass the parental rights statute (MCL 380.10). This statute restored the rights of parents and guaranteed that the Michigan government treat parental rights a fundamental and highest protected right.
Good News Club v. Okemos Public Schools
August 25, 1994Represented a client who was being denied the right to have a Good News Club in the Okemos Public Schools. After a series of letters and conversations with school officials, the club was approved.
Noah Webster Academy
August 15, 1994Obtained the first public charter school in Michigan under the new charter school law. The first school in Michigan to attempt to use computers and long-distance learning for all the students.
State of Michigan v. Fairplain Assembly of God
June 14, 1993Represented a church day care center against an attack by the State of Michigan claiming it had violated the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act by firing a probationary part-time employee for living with a man out of wedlock. After a series of negative press reports in the Detroit Free Press and other media outlets, Attorney General Granholm dismissed the case two days before the trial was to start.
People v. Bennett
June 14, 1993Michigan Supreme Court (with HSLDA). Summary: Justice Brickley wrote the opinion that prohibited the criminal prosecution of a homeschool family unless the State of Michigan had first held an administrative hearing to determine whether the home school followed the private school code. Bennett’s criminal convictions were overturned and they could continue to home school their children. The State took no further action against them.
People v. DeJonge
June 2, 1993Michigan Supreme Court. David A. Kallman represented the DeJonge family all the way to the Michigan Supreme Court. The Court ruled in the DeJonge’s favor and, for the first time in Michigan’s history, held that parents have the fundamental right to educate their children at home according to their religious beliefs.
Farnsworth v. Waverly School District
October 15, 1991A fourth-grade teacher at Waverly, Connie Farnsworth, allowed the children to go to the school library and pick out a play to do for the Christmas program. The children picked a play entitled “No Room at the Inn” which was loosely based upon the birth of Jesus. Jesus name was not used in the play. The school refused to allow the children to put on the play claiming it violated the so-called “separation of church and state.” We represented the teacher and children. After discussions with school officials and attending a school board meeting, the district reversed its decision and the children were allowed to perform their play.
ACLU v. Judge Marvin Robertson
May 8, 1991(Pro-Life) Appellate counsel for Clinton County Probate Judge Marvin Robertson who was sued by the ACLU over his court order requiring the appointment of a neutral guardian ad litem for every unborn child where there was a request by a minor mother to have an abortion of that child. We prevailed and Judge Robertson’s order was upheld.
Smoll v. Runkel
May 22, 1986Obtained a stipulated order where the State of Michigan agreed that the Michigan Dept. of Education had no authority to approve or license any private or home school in Michigan prior to the opening of that school or during the ongoing operation of the school. This freed up private and home schools to begin operation without state interference.
Pro-Life Groups’ State Applications for Tax Exemption Status
May 6, 1985We were asked by Michigan State Senator Harmon Cropsey to represent a pro-life group that had formed as a nonprofit corporation, had obtained their IRS 501(c)(3) approval, but had been denied their tax-exempt status by the State of Michigan. This meant that contributors to their group could not deduct the donation on their state tax return. We asked Sen. Cropsey for the printout of all the requests for tax exempt status made in Michigan history and the decision made on each application. After reviewing the voluminous records, we determined that about half the pro-life groups had their application denied while almost every pro-abortion group’s application had been approved. We wrote then Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley and asked him to review the situation and he reversed the denial of my client’s application and also approved all the other pro-life groups that had been denied.
Plymouth Public School Teachers v. Michigan Education Association
March 14, 1984Represented six public school teachers in the Plymouth-Canton Public School District against the MEA who had kicked them out of the local union and stripped the teachers of their voting rights because they refused to go on strike in violation of a no-strike clause in their unexpired teacher contract with the school district. After five large law firms refused to represent them against the union telling them they had no chance of winning, we were hired to pursue their case. We won their reinstatement into the union and other relief with a ruling that vindicated all their rights with the union.