LANSING, MI — Michigan House Republicans are moving to rein in what they describe as long-standing abuses of power by Attorney General Dana Nessel, advancing legislation that would end her ability to forum shop by filing lawsuits and criminal prosecutions far from where alleged conduct actually occurred.
On January 21, 2026, the Michigan House passed House Bills 5314, 5315, and 5316, a Republican-led package aimed at restoring traditional venue rules and limiting unilateral interventions by the Attorney General’s office. The bills are sponsored by Rep. Angela Rigas of Caledonia, Rep. Jay DeBoyer, and Rep. Cam Cavitt.
Under current Michigan law, the Attorney General has special authority to file civil and criminal cases in Ingham County regardless of where the alleged offense occurred. Republicans argue that this power has been routinely abused to drag defendants into Lansing courtrooms, forcing them to travel hours away from their home communities to defend themselves.
“Today marks a major victory for fairness and accountability in Michigan’s justice system,” Rep. Rigas said in a statement. “For too long, the Attorney General has weaponized special venue rules to drag citizens from their home counties to Lansing for prosecution in a more favorable forum, denying them a trial by a true jury of their peers.”
Ending Forum Shopping From Lansing
House Bill 5314 repeals MCL 14.102, eliminating the Attorney General’s blanket authority to centralize cases in Ingham County. House Bill 5316 amends Michigan’s venue rules to ensure cases are filed where the alleged conduct occurred, limiting Ingham County filings to situations where no other venue applies.
House Bill 5315 further restricts the Attorney General’s authority by requiring that any intervention in civil or criminal cases be formally requested by the Governor or the Legislature, ending unilateral actions and barring involvement in out-of-state lawsuits.
Republicans say the reforms are necessary to stop the Attorney General from effectively choosing her courtroom instead of following the same venue rules applied to county prosecutors across Michigan.
“Our system of justice depends on clear rules and proper checks and balances,” said Rep. Doug Wozniak of Shelby Township, who voted in support of the package. “No single office should have the power to pick its courtroom or expand its reach beyond what the law was intended to allow.”
COVID Enforcement Case Cited as Abuse
Supporters of the bills point to actions taken by Nessel during the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence of overreach. One frequently cited example involves Marlena Hackney, owner of Marlena’s Bistro in Holland, who refused to close her business under Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive orders.
When local law enforcement declined to arrest her, Nessel dispatched Michigan State Police from Lansing to arrest Hackney, transport her to Ingham County, jail her, and prosecute her there, despite the alleged conduct occurring in West Michigan.
Republicans say cases like this illustrate how venue rules were used to bypass local prosecutors and haul defendants into a politically favorable forum.
“These reforms ensure defendants are tried where the alleged crime occurred, before juries who know their community, not in a distant court chosen for political advantage,” Rigas said. “No more hauling hardworking Michiganders across the state for partisan prosecutions.”
Restoring Local Control
Rep. Wozniak said the legislation restores confidence in the justice system by ensuring cases are handled in the communities most directly affected.
“This legislation would eliminate special venue privileges and ensure actions are filed under Michigan’s normal venue standards,” Wozniak said. “They ensure cases are heard in the appropriate communities and that the Attorney General operates within clearly defined boundaries.”
House Bills 5314, 5315, and 5316 now advance to the Michigan Senate for consideration.
Discuss this on our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CL5WYBP44/