8 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, October 13, 1999 LOCAL/STATE Granholm sues Publishers Clearing House Duck, duck, duck, goose LANSING (AP) - Michigan Attorney General Jennifer Granholm said yesterday she has filed suit against Publishers Clearing House, accusing the company of deceptive marketing for its flashy sweepstakes promotions. The suit alleges that the company misleads consumers by making them believe they have won prizes or will win prizes if they buy goods from Publishers Clearing House. "We want to send the message that this kind of nickel and diming of con- sumers is not going to be tolerated," Granholm said. Christopher Irving, the director of consumer affairs for Publishers Clearing House, said he was "disap- pointed" to hear of the lawsuit. The suit comes after several months of talks between Granholm and six sweepstakes companies. Publishers Clearing House is the only company to be sued so far. "We have attempted to sit down with the Michigan attorney general's office; we have continued to respond to all of their concerns in a comprehensive and responsible manner," he said. "We think that an agreement could have been reached and still could be reached with the state of Michigan." Granholm said the suit is also an attempt to wrestle Michigan consumers out of a federal class action suit filed against Publishers Clearing House in Illinois., As part of the class action, Publishers Clearing House is sending notices to everyone who has ordered from the company since 1992, or about 40 mil- lion households. The notice allows con- sumers to opt out of the class action by Oct. 18. If they don't opt out, they could be in line for a settlement from Publishers Clearing House. Granholm says the problem with that deal is that Publishers Clearing House has set aside only about $4 million to settle any potential claims nationwide. That's not enough to give consumers a fair settlement, Granholm says. "People should know this is a very bad deal," Granholm said. Granholm said Publishers Clearing House also failed to notify the state about the class action in meetings this fall. Granholm found out about the class action notices when she got one in the mail. Michigan is one of six states to file lawsuits against Publishers Clearing House, including Florida, Arizona and Connecticut. Michigan's lawsuit orders the company to end alleged deceptive marketing and pay restitution to con- sumers who bought goods believing it would improve their chances to win prizes. The suit also orders Publishers Clearing House to pay up to $25,000 to the state for each alleged violation of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act. Asst. Attorney General Stewart Freeman, the lead attorney in the case, said he doesn't know how many Michigan consumers would be eligible for restitution. "This is the biggest promoter in the world and we know that they make a lot of money, so you can extrapolate that out," he said. Freeman also objected to the class- action notice being sent to consumers, saying the attorney general's office has received complaints about its legal jar- gon and tiny print. "This is a deliberate attempt to con- fuse consumers," he said. SAM HOLLENHEAD/Daily Tom Zieziul feeds a hungry duck while on an outing in Gallup Park while his grandson Zachariah Wozniak looks on yesterday. State exammes gender-based roles or correct1on ofiCers LANSING (AP) - The state Department of Corrections is study- ing whether it should assign correc- tions officers by gender in male and female prisons, Corrections Director Bill Martin told a House committee yesterday. Currently there are no gender restrictions for officers except dur- ing strip searches. Cross-gender assignments have been allowed since 1985 after a lawsuit brought by female officers alleging violations of equal opportunity. Martin told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Corrections that the department is considering a requirement that only women work in female prisons and only men work in male prisons. The department is also looking at increasing the ratio of female offi- cers in its three women's facilities. he said. "To conclude that we are going to do it would be a misnomer," Martin said. "But clearly we arc looking at it." The U.S. Justice Department has accused Michigan of failing to safe- guard female inmates from sexual abuse and unlawful invasion of pri- vacy. The state has reached a settle- ment in a lawsuit filed by the depart- ment, although terms will not be dis- closed until late November or early December, Martin said. He said sexual abuse is not a sys- tematic problem, but does occur at the hands of "evil and wrong and mean-spirited" people. "It has happened, and it will hap- pen in the future," Martin said. "The department has never tried to deny that. It will not be tolerated by me or anyone else in the department." State high' court breaks ground LANSING (AP) -- Nearly 30 years after relinquishing its courtroom in the Capitol building, the Supreme Court held a groundbreaking yesterday for the new headquarters of the state's judi- cial branch. The Hall of Justice, scheduled to open in 2003 at a cost of 87.8 million will sit at the uwst end of the CapitoW Mall. It will consolidate Supreme Court offices in the state-owned Law Building and Court of Appeals offices now in rented space in Lansing. "This is a great day. We are breaking ground on a building we have needed for several generations," Justice Michael Cavanagh told an audience that included several former justices. "it will make such a difference as we do our work for the people of Michigan" The six-story, domed building will have two courtrooms - one for the Supreme Court, one for the Court of Appeals - with more public seating than the Supreme Court's current courtroom. The 281,000 square-foot structure will include a conference center for training judges and court staff from around the state and a public educatior center. It also will house the State Court Administrative Office. Chief Justice Elizabeth Weaver said the Supreme Court has been lobbying for a building of its own since 1922. A separate building, she said, "will heighten the judiciary as an indepen- dent branch of our ingenious system of government." Gov. John Engler called the building "long overdue," but also admitted that building called the Hall of Justice reminded him of the fictional head- quarters of Superman and Wonder Woman. "I want to make it clear that there will be no legislative support for an invisible plane," he quipped. The Michigan Democratic Party isn't joking about the building, calling it an exorbitant "Judicial Palace." Democrats point out that the building' underground parking garage for 460 cars will cost S5 million, or $32,600 per space. "It is outrageous that the Michigan Supreme Court wants to work in such luxury and splendor" Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer said in a statement. Party spokesperson Dennis Denno added that the Democrats plan to make the building's cost an issue in the 2000 elections. Engler said the money for the build- ing was approved in 1998 when Democrats controlled the House. "It would be a despicable act on the part of Democrats to make something like this a partisan issue," he said. "If they have no other issues, I think they'll reach and grab at anything." Earlier yesterday, the court heard the first arguments of its 1999-2000 ses- sion in its former Capitol courtroom, an ornate room now used by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Joining the court for the first time was Justice Stephen Markman, a for- mer appeals court judge appointed to the Supreme Court last month by Engler. Markman fills the seat vacated by Justice James Brickley, who stepped down after being diagnosed with can- cer. Markman will serve on the court until the 2000 election, when he must run to retain his seat. If he wins that election, he will serve out the remain- der of Brickley's term, which will end Jan. 1, 2005. MORE THAN 40,000 SERVED DAILY. THE MICHIGAN DAILY n ike.conm sa 114 S I" - m I