AttorneyButler.Net is the weblog of attorney Michael J. Butler. It has always been my belief that common sense in the pursuit of justice is no vice. (Apologies to Barry Goldwater.)
I can be reached by email through this site, or by phone at:
248-350-3700(O)
More about attorney Mike Butler can be found by clicking the "ABOUT" link below.
With over 25 years experience in the area of civil litigation, I now offer mediation services as a part of my practice. SCAO mediator training has been completed, and I am currently on the approved mediatior list in several Michigan Circuit Courts.
Having participated in many mediations, both as litigant and as mediator, I have come to understand the process and its benefits for all parties. I have always tried to earn the trust of all the attorneys with whom I have worked. This trust is, obviously, vital in the mediation process.
There will be no charge for the following services: phone conferences, scheduling, correspondence or administrative staff work. The only services charged are review of submissions before the hearing, and conducting the mediation.
On Friday, January 29, 2010, WJR Host Paul W. Smith did his morning show from Detroit Catholic Central in Novi, Michigan. Several CC Alumni lawyers and judges appeared on the program
Very interesting promotional video for Detroit's WJR, made in 1966. Much has changed since then, both for Detroit and for the station. A very young J. P. McCarthy is no longer with us, for one. The station has substantially changed its format. Tiger broadcasts and Adventures in Good Music with Karl Haas has given way to the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Dr. Laura. A wonderful mix of local programming, high brow stuff as well, has been replaced by garbage.
The piece was filmed in 1966. a year before the riots, and maybe promo was not really reflective of contemporary conditions in the Detroit area. The auto companies are not thriving now as they did then, and many of the companies shown as WJR advertisers are now out of business.
All this aside, the film does show that there was much to treasure in Detroit in 1966. Though much is different, we still have a lot to be thankful for.
I found this clip whilst cruising around the internet. It was produced in 1917 by the Detroit News for movie audiences of the day. Remember, boys and girls, there was no CGI in the movies then, no color, no sound even. So, Pixar Nation, YouTube Nation, MTV Nation and Twitter Nation may not be able to stay with this piece for its entire seven minutes, but, in my opinion, this is well worth the effort.
I searched, in vain, for landmarks I could recognize some 93 years later. But I was especially interested in the way the Detroit Police handled speeders (beginning at :50). The motorcycle cop, clocking the malefactor at a dizzying speed of somewhere between 40-45 mph, leaps from his motorcycle onto the vehicles running board. The motorcycle goes off on its own and comes to a rest on its side at a nearby curb. The officer puts his whole upper body through the cars open window, and somehow manages to get the speeder to the side of the road. Thankfully, police chase policies have changed a bit since then.
Speeding was no simple Civil Infraction in 1017. Offenders are sentenced to labor on the House of Correction "farm", and they are shown moving little bits of sand from one pile to another. Not exactly something out of "I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" (Paul Muni, 1932). They are then summoned by bugle to "chow".
I am not sure whether this part of the newsreel was designed to show the efficiency of modern police procedures, or the price paid for violating the law. Not sure it succeeded on either count.
The Michigan State Trap Shooting competition is shown beginning at 6:30. The clay pigeons are launched mechanically by a machine operated a human being. This unfortunate is stationed behind a thin plywood shield placed directly in the line of fire!
It is said that even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and again. I was directed to this video and the Google Earth service by none other than former Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Azunis (whether he is the blind squirrel or nut referred to in the previous sentence I leave to the audience).
In any case, in one of Saul's innumerable Facebook posts (often reaching gusts of ten per hour) he directs his readers to this video, which is pretty remarkable:
Wish I could identify the background music here.
I have downloaded Google Earth, though it will take a while to understand. I am a trial and error guy when it comes to computers. I am however, intrigued by the ability to contribute to Google Earth by "mapping" buildings. I might start with the Michigan Supreme Court Building in Lansing. Choosing appropriate background music might be a bit of a challenge, however.
Through the Holidays, I will cut back a bit on the frequency of the postings. Other duties call.
In addition, a little light-hearted Detroit holiday fare is certainly in order.
Today's offering is a clip showing some of the Hudson's Thanksgiving Day Parade from 1962.
The setting for this clip adds a great deal to the actual parade. The clip is part of the Thanksgiving Day Captain Kangaroo show. CBS had feeds from various parades throughout the country, and showed parts from all the parades.
It is great to see the Captain, Mr. Green Jeans and Mr. Moose watching from the Treasure House.
I am a big cheerleader for Detroit. My son got engaged over Thanksgiving weekend, and he and his fiancee went downtown and had their picture taken under the Kern's clock to satisfy the old man.
But, Detroit is no longer the boomtown of the 1920's when new construction could not keep up with the demands of commerce.
Here are some of the abandoned relics of the past. But, the boom times of the Twenties were followed by the Great Depression. Detroit came back then, and I hope and pray that it comes back again.
I came across this article on Detroit's Book Building and Tower, announcing plans to renovate the structure into 260 green-friendly residences and retail space.
"Key Investment Group says the Book renovation is the first of six projects that will bring 970 new sustainable residences to the city. Five of those projects are downtown and the other is on the east side. Details about the other locations were not released."
The Book structure is a two-building complex: The 13-story Book Building opened in 1917; the 36-story Book Tower opened in 1926. It was closed in early 2009.
This is great, hopeful news for a building that has been out of the Detroit mainstream for longer than I can remember.
Truth be told, though I am a big fan of historic Detroit buildings, the Book Tower has never been one of my favorites. Its look is more odd than majestic. Of course, the satellite dishes and dirty facade do not increase its aesthetic appeal. The plans do include a cleaning of the exterior and that can work marvels, as has been seen at the nearby Book Cadillac hotel.
Best of luck to all on this project. It is a tough time for visionaries.
I was directed to this piece by the person who posted the previous video on YouTube. This one was posted on MySpace, as YouTube will not allow upload of videos over ten minutes, apparently.
This piece was done as part of a school project, I am guessing for the Specs Howard School of Broadcasting, based on the credits. The twelve years that elapsed between the first video and this were not kind to the building. The last train left the depot in 1988 and the building was closed.
Very haunting video, with some equally haunting music, some of which, quite surprisingly, was composed by Paul McCartney.
Location, the cost of re-fitting to a new use, and hard economic times, have and probably doomed the Michigan Central Depot to the wrecking ball. Too bad. A structure built to last, to serve a couple of industries that didn't.
This clip, about the Michigan Central train depot in Detroit, was taken in 1987, while there was still a little bit of activity at the place. It closed finally in 1988, and has been rotting since.
This video is especially interesting because it contains photos from the days when the depot was the transportation hub of southeastern Michigan. And of course it is unique because parts of the station were still in use when this piece was filmed. Not many, though. The glory days had long since passed. But most informative, charming and/or poignant are the comments from the two retired railroad employees who are shown walking through the nearly empty giant for what was probably the last time.
I was only in the Michigan Central Depot on one occasion, back in 1985, when Conrail still had offices there. It was mostly deserted then, but it was fun to try and conjure images of what had been.
Short piece, sadly with no sound (background music removed for copyright reasons, apparently), about the old Majestic Building in Detroit. Included here for its rarity, its historic interest and because it was the original home of the Bernstein and Bernstein (not Sam) law firm.
From the YouTube Info blurb:
"A look at the Majestic Building, Detroit's second skyscraper. The Majestic opened in 1896 on the corner of Woodward and Michigan avenues. The office building stood across from old City Hall and was torn down in 1962. It was designed by Daniel Burham, who also did Detroit's Dime Building (still standing) and the Flatiron Building in New York City. For more on this forgotten building of Detroit, visit www.buildingsofdetroit.com.
