Taxation attorney Steven?J. Schwartz dies
Sommers Schwartz sadly announces that Steven J. Schwartz died on April 2, 2016, after battling illness. Schwartz was a former senior shareholder and Of Counsel to the firm, and a guiding force in its growth and success over the years.
“Steve was one of the pre-eminent business and taxation attorneys in Michigan and elsewhere,” said Joseph H. Bourgon, CEO and Senior Shareholder. “His service to his clients, his leadership of the firm, and his support of the community were far reaching. We will miss him greatly.”
Schwartz graduated from the University of Michigan in 1961, and later earned his law degree, cum laude, from Harvard University in 1961 and an LL.M in taxation from Georgetown University in 1965. His practice involved general corporate and business transactions, including acquisitions and divestitures of privately and publicly held companies, construction of complicated multimillion settlements, federal and state tax disputes, and shareholder disagreements.
In addition to his participation in the State Bar of Michigan, American Bar Association, and National Health Lawyers Association, Schwartz was actively involved with Orchards Children’s Service, a non-profit dedicated to providing specialized care and recreational and educational services to children in Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties. He was a past President and Chairman of the Board of the organization, and most recently served as the Chair of its Finance Committee.
A devoted family man, Schwartz is survived by a loving family — his wife Ronna; children Jonathan, Michael, Jordan, and Susan; five grandchildren; sisters Carol Fletcher and Barbara Schwartz; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held on Monday, April 4 at Ira Kaufman Chapel in Southfield, Michigan. Donations in Schwartz’s honor may be made to Orchards Children’s Services, Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Zionist Organization of America, or the Michigan Chapter of Friends of The Israel Defense Forces.
Court: Jail workers can be sued over Detroit inmate death
DETROIT (AP) — A jury should decide whether Wayne County jail employees could have prevented the death of a man who was killed after a mentally ill inmate was placed in his cell, an appeals court said.
The court last week affirmed a decision by a Detroit federal judge, who said governmental immunity doesn’t apply in a lawsuit by Jeff Horvath’s estate. He was in jail for more than a week in 2011 because he couldn’t afford to post bond in a misdemeanor case.
Horvath was moved to another cell because of a toilet problem and was eventually joined by Brandon Gillespie. Horvath, 55, was beaten and stabbed to death.
Gillespie told jail staff that he had a history of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and wasn’t taking medication at the time, according to a summary of the incident. Gillespie, now 26, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and is serving at least 30 years in prison.
The lawsuit names Wayne County, a sheriff’s deputy, a nurse and a social worker. Deputy Andre Stinson said he didn’t hear Horvath's pleas for help.
“Stinson certainly raises doubts as to what he could hear and see at the time of the attack. ... But such arguments are appropriately reserved for a jury,” the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said.
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