Sunday, January 20, 2013

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway Charged With Fraud

Federal prosecutors have filed a fraud charge against Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway, just a few days before she leaves the state's highest court in a scandal involving the sale of a Detroit-area home and suspicious steps taken to conceal property in Florida.

The charge was filed Friday as a criminal "information," which means it was negotiated and that a guilty plea is expected in federal court. Defense attorney Steve Fishman declined to comment Saturday.

Hathaway is resigning Monday, months after a series of questionable real estate transactions first were revealed by a Detroit TV station. Hathaway and her husband, Michael Kingsley, deeded a Florida home to a relative while trying to negotiate a short sale on a house they couldn't afford in Grosse Pointe Park.

The sale went through and erased any remaining debt they had with the bank, $600,000. The debt-free Windermere, Fla., home then went back in their names.

The bank fraud charge says Hathaway made false statements to ING Direct, transferred property to others and failed to disclose available cash -- all in an effort to fool the bank into believing she had a financial hardship. Kingsley has not been charged.

Hathaway has refused to make any lengthy public comments. She told WXYZ-TV last spring that the property shuffles were a private matter.

Full Article and Source:
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Charged With Fraud

6 comments:

Thelma said...

A Supreme Court judge engaged in frraud?
Oh, my!

Connie said...

Oh my was exactly what I was thinking when I read it, Thelma.

tvfields said...

30 years of trying to address the negligence and misconduct of judges and lawyers has taught me that this case and reports about it will not lead to any of the many safeguards which our justice system currently lacks and needs ...

Laura said...

Looks are deceiving. She doesn't look like she'd be this kind of person at all.

Harry said...

Resigning isn't enough. She needs to go to jail with the Kids-for-Cash judges!

jerri said...

notice how ms supreme avoids full disclosure via trial process she gets the gift of secrecy via plea deal and this is an example of her character that she took to the courtroom this statement really honks me off property shuffles were a private matter oh really she needs a trip to the wood shed and time in a federal cell oh that's right excuse me federal prisons are no where near the raw conditions of a state prison oh we the little people are being played for fools so let's read ms supremes excuse for refusing to respond to those with inquiring minds ~~~ Hathaway has refused to make any lengthy public comments. She told WXYZ-TV last spring that the property shuffles were a private matter.