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Notice to traffic law violators convicted of moving violations in Bay Mills Tribal Court • Hindsight always 20/20 • Reader disagrees with Governor's stance on abortion
Notice to traffic law violators convicted of moving violations in Bay Mills Tribal Court
This notice is to inform everyone that effective at the end of February 2004, the Bay Mills Indian Community Tribal Court will send records of all moving traffic convictions to the Michigan Department of State.
This rule became effective when a Reciprocity Agreement was made between the Bay Mills Indian Community and the State of Michigan Highway Board on Aug. 13, 2003. The Reciprocity Agreement was necessary so that the state of Michigan agreed that, “vehicles properly registered by the BMIC are authorized to travel within the State of Michigan without registering with the State .”
The relevant provision of the Reciprocity Agreement, paragraph 4, states:
4. Within six months of the effective date of this Agreement, the BMIC agrees to send convictions on all moving violations as defined by the Michigan Vehicle Code (Act 300 PA 1949) to the Department within 10 days of the date of conviction. Such transmissions shall be from an electronic platform and format agreed between BMIC and that Department and follow the reporting protocol established by the Department.
Q: Who will my BMIC moving violations be reported to?
The Michigan Secretary of State within 10 days of conviction. The reporting form is the same as those used by other Michigan courts.
Q: Will points be assessed against my Michigan Driver's License for BMIC traffic violations?
Yes, points will be assessed.
Q: What if I have many violations from the past?
This new rule only covers moving violations after February 2004 and is not retroactive. Therefore, past moving violations were not reported to the state.
Q: What if I am convicted of OUIL 3rd Offense at BMIC but have no convictions from the state?
The OUIL 3rd offense shall be reported as an OUIL 3rd and this conviction will be reported to the Secretary of State. Tribal members should be wary of a Michigan case called People v. Wemigwans, 2003 WL 734257. Although this is an unpublished case, the Michigan Court of Appeals held that a county prosecutor may use a Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe member's prior two tribal court convictions to enhance the state court OUIL charge to OUIL 3rd, which is a felony under state law. The tribal member had two prior tribal court convictions and no state prior conviction.
Q: How should tribal members avoid this problem?
Do not commit traffic violations on the BMIC reservation or anywhere else because moving traffic convictions from any state and Canada are reported to the Michigan Department of State.
(This information is provided for general information only and is not intended to serve as legal advice. Any legal advice needed for a particular situation should be obtained from an attorney.)
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Hindsight always 20/20
To the Editor,
Three or four years ago, I came across an article in The Reader's Digest written by a soldier's sister. When it was time for the young man to fill out his government paid life insurance, he put his sister down as a beneficiary.
Years later, the soldier married and had a child but neglected to change the beneficiary to his wife. Unfortunately, a fatal accident left his wife a widow. As the sister was made aware of the life insurance policy, she immediately signed it over to her sister-in-law.
The young lady wrote the article in order to help others avoid problems like this.
As I say, 'Hindsight is 20/20.' Instead of a loving sister-in-law, I end up with a disheartened mother-in-law.
I woke up on our second wedding anniversary to find that my husband had passed away in his sleep. Michael was only 29 years old. Since he was still young and we had only been married for two years, I was completely unprepared for a situation like this.
The only asset my husband had was a 401(k) account through his employer. Unfortunately, Michael still had his mother as his beneficiary. While his mother was in Michigan for Michael's funeral, Yvonne told the accountant and the funeral home that money would be set aside for taxes and the rest would be sent to me.
The amount of his 401(k) account would have paid the entire funeral expense, but my mother-in-law stopped talking to me a week after she received her son's check.
While I keep receiving collection notices in the mail, this woman makes phone calls to the funeral home and the accounting firm stating that “I didn't sign anything and I'm not responsible for nothing.”
I'm not making this up. This is word for word from the vice president of the accounting firm in Illinois. And of course she didn't sign anything because she didn't get here until two days after Michael had died.
Every time I get a funeral bill in the mail, I actually think of my friends and family. I think of the marriages and divorces that have happened over the years. I think of the children that would be left behind and the hardships that could happen in a case like mine.
With Valentine's Day come and gone, I imagine all of the flowers and candy that was given out between loved ones. I personally can think of the perfect present for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, a birthday or on a Monday.
If you have life insurance or just a 401(k), please, I beg you to make sure that the person you want is listed as a beneficiary. No one knows what could happen down the road.
Please, don't accidentally leave your family with a hardship like the one that has happened to me.
Your friend,
Sonja Killips
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Reader disagrees with Governor's stance on abortion
To the Editor
As a Michigan citizen, I would like to personally ask the Governor to stop making false claims about pro-life legislation. The Governor's claim that the “Legal Birth Definition Act” lacked a health exception was completely untrue. Assuming the Governor read the legislation, she would know there is a very clear exception covering both the life and physical health of the mother. Yet the Governor lied to justify her veto. I invite you to read the bill for yourself at www.michiganlegislalure.org (Senate Bill 395). You will find a health exception. How did the Governor not find it? She has also lied regarding House Bill 4478, claiming that the parental rights legislation would “shield child abusers.” That is also not true and the Governor knows it. It's time to tell the truth and stop vetoing good legislation. Governor Granholm is developing a pattern of lying to the people and it is time she is exposed.
The Detroit News published the results of a survey indicating 88 percent of the respondents joined the Legislature in favoring a ban on partial birth abortion! In Gallup's November poll, 68 percent of the public says the procedure should he illegal, while only 25 percent say it should be legal. Tom Forbes, a medical doctor at the Division of Pediatric Cardiology at Children's Hospital Michigan in Detroit said, “Under no medical circumstance is it ever medically necessary to perform a partial birth abortion to save a mother's life. In fact, one could argue just the opposite.”
I would like to remind Governor Jennifer Granholm that although groups like EMILY's List may have helped her get elected, but she has a greater obligation to the people of this state. Granholrn received more than $300,000 from the pro-abortion interest group EMILY's List for the 2002 election. Our Governor must be accountable to the citizens of Michigan, not to special interest groups which do not hold the same values as 88 percent of our citizens. Please Governor, stand with the truth and with the people, not with pro-abortion extremists.
The people of the Great State of Michigan now have a chance to say enough is enough! Petitions for the People's Override are being circulated in every county in Michigan. Chippewa County has been asked to respond by collecting 2000 signatures. Based on 88 percent opposition and close to 24,000 registered voters, I believe that we could collect 19,000. I would be happy knowing that we could collect and send 4,000 signatures to the petition drive headquarters! I urge every person registered to vote to stop in and sign this petition. I have copies available at 406 Ashmun Street, Downtown Sault between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., or I would be happy to help you get your own copy to collect signatures.
Anthony Stackpoole
Sault Ste. Marie
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