State Rep. Cam Cavitt this week testified in support of his plan to prevent the Michigan Attorney General’s Office from “venue shopping” for a more favorable court when bringing charges against Michigan residents.

House Bill 5316 would require the attorney general’s office to try criminal cases and bring civil cases in a court in the county where the alleged action occurred.

“Anyone accused of a crime is constitutionally guaranteed the right to a trial by jury of their peers,” said Cavitt, R-Cheboygan. “Unfortunately, we’ve seen lawyers like Attorney General Dana Nessel treat court cases like their own personal games of chess, with people accused of criminal actions stuck as the pawns. The attorney general should not have the authority to move a trial to Lansing just because Lansing area jurors are more likely to agree with her.”

Cavitt’s plan would amend state law, which currently allows the attorney general’s office to file any civil lawsuit or any criminal prosecution in the Ingham County Circuit Court, regardless of where the cause of action arose. The bill would ensure that the attorney general may only move a trial to Lansing if no other county is suitable.

Nessel has often abused this portion of state law by moving trials to the Lansing area because the Ingham County Circuit Court is viewed as a more liberal or progressive court, and therefore a more favorable forum for the attorney general.

“No attorney general should be playing politics with people’s lives,” Cavitt said. “A jury of our peers means those people who live in our communities, not urbanites from Lansing. Justice is supposed to be blind.”

Cavitt’s bill is part of a larger legislative package that would also restrict the attorney general from intervening in lawsuits filed outside the state of Michigan.

The legislation remains before the House Judiciary Committee, where it awaits a potential vote.

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