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State and Local Government Law

Michigan Law Review

Journal

Sovereign immunity

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Law

Municipal Corporations-Liability In Tort-Prospective Judicial Abrogation Of The Sovereign Immunity Concept, Donald E. Vacin Jan 1962

Municipal Corporations-Liability In Tort-Prospective Judicial Abrogation Of The Sovereign Immunity Concept, Donald E. Vacin

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff's decedent was killed by a fall down the elevator shaft of a building owned and maintained by the City of Detroit. Plaintiff alleged that defendant city negligently failed to protect and enclose the shaft, in violation of its own ordinances, and that such failure was the proximate cause of her husband's death. The city moved to dismiss, claiming that it was engaged in a governmental function and therefore was immune from tort liability. On appeal from an order dismissing the complaint, held, affirmed by an evenly divided court. However, a majority of the court prospectively overruled the judicial …


Municipal Corporations - Tort Liability - Duty To Protect Police Informer, Cyril Moscow May 1956

Municipal Corporations - Tort Liability - Duty To Protect Police Informer, Cyril Moscow

Michigan Law Review

Decedent furnished information leading to the arrest of the notorious "Willie the Actor" Sutton. The police, after being notified of anonymous threats to decedent's person, furnished protection, which was later withdrawn. Soon afterwards, decedent was murdered by unknown assailants. Decedent's administrator brought this action to recover damages for his death, claiming that there was a failure to provide adequate police protection. The trial court dismissed the action. On appeal, held, affirmed per curiam, one justice dissenting. As a member of the general public, no duty of special protection was owed the decedent. Even assuming such a duty existed, it …


States-Waiver Of State Immunity To Suit With Special Reference To Suits In Federal Courts, Richard C. Scatterday S.Ed. Jan 1947

States-Waiver Of State Immunity To Suit With Special Reference To Suits In Federal Courts, Richard C. Scatterday S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Although deriving its force and effect from the medieval period, the doctrine of sovereign immunity retains much of its original influence. Historically, the doctrine is based upon the rule that no suit may be brought against the King without his consent. This concept found its way into international law, and from this source was derived the freedom from suit that our individual states enjoy in their own courts. With the development of the federal union, new problems arose and many were resolved by the adoption of the Eleventh Amendment, which forbids suit against a state in a federal court by …