The United States Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from the Ionia County Prosecutor in the case of Anthony Owen on Monday. Owen claimed he was illegally pulled over by an Ionia County sheriff's deputy when he was arrested in 2015.
Owen had been traveling 43 mph in a 25 mph zone when he was pulled over in Saranac and subsequently arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Owen's attorney, Ed Sternisha, argued that the speed limit was not posted along the road and that Michigan law states that the speed on non-freeways is 55 mph unless posted otherwise.
In 2019, the Michigan appeals court ruled the traffic stop was illegal and threw out evidence of drunk driving that stemmed from the arrest. The court said a "reasonably competent" officer should have known that he couldn't stop Owen for speeding.
In 2020, the Ionia County Prosecutor's Office appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court and filed a petition with the Supreme Court of the United States. That request was denied.
On Wednesday, Oct. 13, a hearing will determine if the Ionia County Sheriff's Office must release a handgun they seized during the arrest. Owen is also requesting all records of the arrest are destroyed.
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