State Representative Doug Wozniak has voted in favor of a set of bills intended to address venue shopping and limit the authority of Michigan’s Attorney General. The proposed legislation, House Bills 5314-5316, seeks to change how lawsuits and prosecutions are assigned to courts in Michigan.
Currently, the Attorney General can file civil or criminal cases in Ingham County even if the alleged conduct took place elsewhere. The new bills would require that such actions be filed according to standard venue rules, meaning cases would be heard in the counties where incidents occurred.
The legislation also aims to clarify when the Attorney General may intervene in legal proceedings. Under the proposed changes, intervention would only be allowed if formally requested by the governor or either chamber of the Legislature, and only for cases within Michigan.
Wozniak stated, “Our system of justice depends on clear rules and proper checks and balances. No single office should have the power to pick its courtroom or expand its reach beyond what the law was intended to allow.”
He added, “These bills restore the proper balance of power and protect against forum shopping that undermines confidence in the justice system. They ensure cases are heard in the appropriate communities and that the Attorney General operates within clearly defined boundaries.”
House Bills 5314-5316 will now move forward for consideration by the Senate.
