The Inman Recall Committee has requested the Michigan Supreme Court grant emergency relief to proceed with the recall of State Representative Larry Inman. This follows the Nov. 29 decision by the Bureau of Elections to halt the recall effort due to a typographical error, and the 2-1 decision by the Court of Appeals affirming the Bureau’s decision, issued Dec. 20. The Bureau decided that the omission of the word “Right” from the description of one of three legal charges brought against Inman (“Attempted Extortion Under Color of Official Right [Count 1]”) mentioned in the petition required invalidation of the recall petition.

The committee maintains the error was harmless and that the invalidation of signatures denies the citizens their constitutional right to a recall process. The ACLU of Michigan also weighed in at the Court of Appeals last week, noting that the legal and practical ramifications of the Bureau’s decision may affect future citizen recall efforts across Michigan. The Inman Recall Committee has requested the Supreme Court immediately consider the issue.