The Assistant Attorney General in Michigan
By ZephyrSun
@ZephyrSun (7381)
United States
October 4, 2010 5:24pm CST
Apparently in Michigan the Attorney General's office is exempt from the law, more specially the assistant attorney general. He started a blog about a student that attends University of Michigan. The AAG is named Andrew Shirvell and he has video taped the student at his house and harassed the student to the point of where Mr. Shirell has been banned from the campus. Last week the attorney general said that there was nothing wrong with the AAG keeping a blog about the student and did not see a reason to fire him.
Here you go, all the people on the "right" that complain about the ACLU backs the stalker Mr. Shirvell with his right to free speech.
What do you think? Should Michigan continue to employee someone that is suppose to uphold the law when they are clearly breaking it? Yes I checked Michigan's laws and they do have anti-stalking laws as well as harassment laws.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/10/03/in-ann-arbor-a-state-attorney-is-accused-of-stalking-hate-spee/?ncid=webmail
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/%28S%28gz5nz2amndc2nx55xs2kn1fo%29%29/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=mcl-750-411h
The first link is to the story and the second link is to Michigan's code on harassment.
5 responses
@gewcew23 (8007)
• United States
4 Oct 10
Last week the attorney general said that there was nothing wrong with the AAG keeping a blog about the student and did not see a reason to fire him, maybe the Michigan AG should be fired next election too for issuing such an idiotic statement. You would kind of hope that if anyone in a state would know the state's law that person would be the state attorney general but that's just me.
1 person likes this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
4 Oct 10
I sure hope they do "fire" the attorney general the next election. I surely would not someone enforcing the laws of the state but, not upholding them in their own office.
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
5 Oct 10
Oh, I never watch Anderson Cooper. 3 months is a long time for the folks that live in Michigan.
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
4 Oct 10
I have been following this story and the last I heard he has been suspended pending a full investigation. Yes, he has a right to "free speech"; but "free speech" does have restrictions on it when it comes to "harassment", "libel", "defamation of character", and "invasion of privacy".
What Mr Shirell has been doing is no different from a school yard bully and what you did not mention is the fact that the person he is attacking is openly gay. This could elevate his actions to the status of a "hate-crime".
Adults and people in positions of authority are held to a higher standard than an eight year old school yard bully. If he cannot act like an adult, he should not be permitted to hold public office.
1 person likes this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
4 Oct 10
I am not entirely sure if it matters whether or not the student is gay the main fact is that the attorney general and the assistant are not doing their jobs. Plus those on the "right" don't seem to care for hate crimes they claim they are unconstitutional.
You're correct that he is a bully but, he is also a stalker and it's sad that someone that is suppose to prosecute stalkers is one.
Have you heard if he is on paid leave or unpaid? I couldn't seem to find anything out about that.
@dark_joev (3034)
• United States
5 Oct 10
I watched the little bit it was AC360 and well the AAG seemed to be breaking a law on the books for Cyberbullying and also had posted images of this student with Nazi symbols on his face and attacking him both for his orientation and for the students beliefs calling him a devil and other things. The AAG refused to discuss how it might effect him doing his job effectively because he has been attacking the student's policies and orientation which could make it an hate crime under the law. He could lose a lot if he is found to be in violation of a law as he is a AAG not just a normal person he has to stay quiet on these issues like a judge who is going for the Supreme Court and is asked over and over again. How would you decide if the issue of gay marriage comes up? Their answer is always "I will look at the facts presented to me in the case and base my decision on the word of law."
1 person likes this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
5 Oct 10
In my own personal opinion those that are practicing law should be held to higher standards because they are suppose to know the law.
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
7 Oct 10
The blog is done in his private time as a private citizen so no his boss can't do anything about it. He does have freedom of speech.
Now showing up and taping the kid at his house is a bit much. It is stalking and the kid needs to file charges against him. And yes he can be fired for that. But only after convicted in a court of law....innocent until proven guilty you know.
As for slander and libal...well those are civil court matters and not a criminal court matter. So that kid...not his boss...needs to go after him for that.
But the blog in itself is not enough to fire him over. The stalking is though.
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
7 Oct 10
Actually this guy, the one stalking is a hired position and with his hate of gays it makes him pretty ineffective at his job when it comes to a victim that would happen to be gay or the person being charged. The student has taken out a PO but, I haven't heard if the stalker has broken it or not.
