The McAdam's Lawsuit: What is the COLDNews Not Telling You?

[XLFD]

Everything!

Tomorrow the agenda of the Ludington City Council not only has the usual FOIA appeal of an improperly denied FOIA request by yours truly, but they should be going into closed session to discuss the status of what is called the McAdam's Lawsuit with the City of Ludington with their non-City Attorney Allan Vander Laan  (Item 9b). 

 

What is the McAdam's lawsuit?  At this point I can only make an educated guess, but I believe it more than likely involves the owner of Michael's on the Avenue Sue McAdams and what happened early in the summer of 2010 when the "Girls Gone Wild" bus came into Ludington, and the local officials, in particular, LPD Police Chief Mark Barnett, went... wild. 

 

Here is an article from the local newspaper that is so friendly to the Ludington City Hallers that it is now affectionately called the City of Ludington Daily News or COLDNews by those in the know. 

 

"...an appearance Thursday by the Girls Gone Wild bus drew many viewers, at least a few protesters and prompted what appears to have been a parking blockade that limited where the bus could park.

The visit, part of a promotion at Michael’s Bar and Grille in downtown Ludington, also prompted city officials to gather and review with its attorney, Richard Wilson of Gockerman, Wilson, Saylor and Hesslund of Manistee, what, if anything, could or should be done about what was billed as a “bikini party.” ... Michael’s owner Sue McAdam Thurday afternoon told the Daily News, “My intentions are good. I have no intentions of demoralizing our community. I don’t feel there’s anything wrong with it.”

Ludington Police Chief Mark Barnett met with the bus crew prior to the show while it was parked at the Holiday Inn, where the crew stayed overnight,

He said he told them, “I would like to see an event where no girls were being filmed in the bus and no girls were taken to the bus and they lived up to that, and kept their promise that they wouldn’t take any girls to the bus and they wouldn’t film on the bus,” he said....

“I am not condoning what Girls Gone Wild does and I’m not promoting that,”  she (McAdam) said.

“I didn’t realize it was that big of a deal,” she continued. She said it was a business decision following a financially difficult winter. She said the establishment is behind on its taxes and is trying to get back to even.

“We won’t have them back. I apologize, but it was a business decision. What’s the big deal?”

http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news/50436-not-so-wild-in-ludingt...

Reader's comment at the bottom of the article go both ways, but one of the poster's "Sherry" says something that may have become reality:  "The people on the ggw bus did NOT break the law. The people at the bar did NOT break the law. The people from the churches, they DID break the law. The chief of police, He DID break the law. The article in the paper said the leaders of this town conferred with their lawyer before taking action. I think the bar owners should confer with their lawyers cause they have a lawsuit against the city. And they will win..." 

 

With a variety of actions done by the City of Ludington to suppress the expression of free speech, started by Chief Barnett supported by the Manistee-based City Attorneys and other City Hallers who should know better (where have I heard this story before?) their questionable actions bespeak a germination of a lawsuit by Sue McAdams on this aspect alone.  I will do some more research, and get back to this thread on the specifics I uncover, and would appreciate any more factual information supplied by anyone who knows anything about this lawsuit to be disseminated to the public at large on this website.  As far as the COLDNews, they have reported nothing to the public as of yet, not even in discussing what is scheduled to happen at the City Council meeting tomorrow when this is scheduled to go into closed session. 

[snide]

Well CLFD, if the LDN actually reported anything and let people know WHAT the suit was about, people wouldn't HAVE to speculate and "jump the gun". the LDN does a HORRID job actually reporting ANYTHING and instead of invesigating ANY  wrongdoing ,the cover the City's(and county's) behind at EVERY turn.

[Angela]

this is the lawsuit that I was telling you all about!! My insider from the MCSO gave me this info but I could not share more details only there was a lawsuit going on in GR aganist the city about tazers - but I thought the county was being sued also - hummmmmm??? so Johanna, you want to question what I say on here still?

[XLFD]

Questioning what others say on here is fair game, but once again, you had the germ of a story here, Angela.  Did you say there was another one going on as well?  Isn't it weird how a lawsuit which was filed in early 2011 is just finally getting to the knowledge of the public?  Surely, the City and their good buddy the COLDNews has known about this for over a year, since Paul S. Peterson was a CC last year.  How's that for open government in Ludington? 

[Chuck Finley]

I thought tazers were legal to use?

[XLFD]

So are guns.  But the misuse of them can get you in trouble.  Many people have died from being tazed, and using it indiscriminately can get you into some serious trouble, even if you're law enforcement.

[Angela]

i was told that the county was being sued also......but maybe I misunderstood, I can find out this weekend.............I think the lawsuit has to do with training and use of the tazer.........the conversation I had with this person was almost a month ago........u know this city hides so much stuff from us it isnt even funny.

[Chuck Finley]

Someone told me it was lack of training Or something like that that wasn't kept updated due to money

[Angela]

in order to be able to use the tazer (and to be covered my Tazer Int (the company that makes the tazer) and I mean covered as in they represent you if you are sued) a person has to be trained and recertified on its use every year......so if the officers weren't recertified then McAdams has a lawsuit AND if this is the case, then the city has to pay for it because they didn't do what Tazer Int said they had to do

[XLFD]

Do you know whether it involved the same incident or not, Angela?  The LPD and MCSO working together maybe?  Other than that, I think your period key must be sticking  ;- ) 

Either that or you are on .....  never mind, LOL.

[Angela]

hahah I thought it was the same incident, I will try to find out................no i just like periods...............lol

[SomethingCompletelyDifferent]

The McAdam that was tasered is Sue's son, Joe McAdam.

[Chuck Finley]

So does that cost money?