An attorney based in Saginaw County has been handing around a dozen cases across the state regarding the same issue he claims is systemic: suspected unlawful searches and seizures.
Attorney Philip Ellison claims local governmental officials in different municipalities have violated the fourth amendment rights of his clients.
WKAR News collaborated with City Pulse which first broke the story Tuesday morning.
Ellison alleged that Ingham County's Aurelius Township conducted multiple warrantless searches of his clients' trailer. The couple claims a code enforcement officer entered their property to collect evidence, though, they say they were not in violation of any township zoning code.
Ellison said this case along with almost a dozen others shows that there’s a trend of local government officials in Michigan not following the fourth amendment which protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures.
"Governments at all levels have forgotten what the Constitution tells them," Ellison said. "It's the it's our owner's manual of our of our governance. And no one's reading the owner's manual these days."
The Aurelius Township supervisor has not responded to a request for comment from City Pulse.
