SONYA KENETTE BROWN v. CITY OF ALBION, MICHIGAN; ALBERT SMITH, GLENIANE REID, and SHANE WILLIAMSON, individually and in their official capacities as City Council Members for the City of Albion; DAVID ATCHISON, individually and in his official capacity as the Mayor of the City of Albion; SCOTT KIPP, individually and in his official capacity as Chief of Public Safety for the City of Albion; JASON KERN, individually and in his official capacity as the Deputy Chief of Public Safety for the City of Albion; CULLEN CHRISTOPHER HARKNESS, individually and in his official capacity as City Attorney for the City of Albion; NICOLE WYGANT, individually and in her official capacity as Detective/Sergeant for the City of Albion Department of Public Safety - Articles

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SONYA KENETTE BROWN v. CITY OF ALBION, MICHIGAN; ALBERT SMITH, GLENIANE REID, and SHANE WILLIAMSON, individually and in their official capacities as City Council Members for the City of Albion; DAVID ATCHISON, individually and in his official capacity as the Mayor of the City of Albion; SCOTT KIPP, individually and in his official capacity as Chief of Public Safety for the City of Albion; JASON KERN, individually and in his official capacity as the Deputy Chief of Public Safety for the City of Albion; CULLEN CHRISTOPHER HARKNESS, individually and in his official capacity as City Attorney for the City of Albion; NICOLE WYGANT, individually and in her official capacity as Detective/Sergeant for the City of Albion Department of Public Safety

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Apr 29, 2025

Court: 6th Circuit Court (Published Opinions)

Attorneys 1: ARGUED: Eric J. Sheppard, Okemos, Michigan, for Appellant.

Attorneys 2: ARGUED: Jeffrey C. Gerish, PLUNKETT COONEY, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, for Appellees.

Attorneys 3: ON BRIEF: Eric J. Sheppard, Okemos, Michigan, for Appellant.

Attorneys 4: ON BRIEF: Jeffrey C. Gerish, PLUNKETT COONEY, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, for Appellees.

Judge(s): COLE, STRANCH, and READLER, Circuit Judges

Court Appealed: The United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan at Grand Rapids

JANE B. STRANCH, Circuit Judge. Sonya Kenette Brown was a City Council member in the City of Albion, Michigan. She was prosecuted for violating a provision in the City Charter prohibiting City Council members from directing the appointment or removal of any administrative officer or employee of the city. She alleges that her political opponents on the City Council engaged in retaliatory prosecution and arrest, malicious prosecution, and conspiracy to violate her civil rights, and she alleges that the relevant provision of the City Charter is unconstitutional. The district court dismissed her claims alleging retaliatory prosecution and arrest, malicious prosecution, and conspiracy to violate civil rights and granted summary judgment to the Defendants on her claim that the City Charter provision was unconstitutional. She now appeals those decisions. For the reasons set forth below, we AFFIRM the district court’s judgment.

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