Federal judge tosses lawsuit against city attorney

By Charles Sercombe
A federal lawsuit filed against Hamtramck City Attorney James Allen and the City of Hamtramck has been thrown out.
The lawsuit was filed by Charles Blackwell, a self-described “activist” and government watchdog.
Blackwell, who was paralyzed from the waist down in a drive-by shooting, had been filing various Freedom of Information Act requests with the City of Inkster, which Allen’s law firm also represents, and in Hamtramck.
Some of the FOIA’s had been denied and others were complied with.
The lawsuit claimed that Allen violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, and that he attempted to suppress Blackwell’s First Amendment right.
Bad blood eventually developed between Allen and Blackwell, and that led to Allen sending Blackwell a series of what the court described as “vulgar” messages.
Blackwell alleged that those demeaning emails curtailed his First Amendment right.
But none of that was a factor in federal district court Judge Mark Goldsmith’s dismissal of the lawsuit.
The judge noted that the federal laws that Blackwell cited did not apply.
Blackwell’s lawsuit attracted media attention, mostly because of the comments Allen made.
Allen later apologized for his language.
The lawsuit also prompted former City Councilmember Carrie Beth Lasley to propose firing Allen and his law firm. But, her council colleagues at the time did not offer support to move her resolution forward for a vote.
Allen and his law firm continue to represent Hamtramck, as well as other local government entities.
Posted March 18, 2022