Ambassador Bridge Owner Moroun and aide Stamper Jailed

**Meddle** · January-12-12, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

I'm really looking for mugshots. They might make an interesting art project.

They're on the DetNews site front page.

**Meddle** · January-12-12, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

Not fulfilling your contractual obligations doesn't make you a criminal. Neither does disobeying a judge's orders. This is all civil court.

If you think he should be prosecuted for a particular crime, file a writ of mandamus compelling the Wayne County Prosecutor's office to prosecute him for that crime. Good luck.

Which Maroun are you related to?

**professorscott** · January-12-12, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

Not fulfilling your contractual obligations doesn't make you a criminal. Neither does disobeying a judge's orders. This is all civil court.

Sorry, but contempt of court is a jailable offense, and has been so throughout American history.

You are correct that Mr. Moroun and Mr. Stamper are not "criminals", in so far as neither has been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor. But contempt of court is a situation where it is a long-accepted practice of imprisoning people who are not criminals.

**corktownyuppie** · January-12-12, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

Not fulfilling your contractual obligations doesn't make you a criminal. Neither does disobeying a judge's orders. This is all civil court.

If you think he should be prosecuted for a particular crime, file a writ of mandamus compelling the Wayne County Prosecutor's office to prosecute him for that crime. Good luck.

I stand corrected. I didn't mean to say the his failure to meet his contractual obligation made him a criminal. I meant to say that disobeying the court order made him criminal, which as you say, is false.

But although his actions are not criminal, I still believe that jail is justified.

So instead of saying that his actions were criminal, I should've gone back to the statement when someone posted that jail is for criminals. Jail is for criminals. But it's also for people who refuse to obey orders of the court.

But yes, point taken...you were right.

**Scottathew** · January-12-12, 08:49 PM

I'd give them a deadline for completion, and the penalty for not completing is state receivership [[without compensation) of the bridge.

**Richard** · January-12-12, 09:01 PM

Originally Posted by 48091

I'd give them a deadline for completion, and the penalty for not completing is state receivership [[without compensation) of the bridge.

That's a thought ,not sure of the legalities of it though.

Or they could throw up a heavy rail bridge and levy a heavy truck border tax to encourage rail cargo which would make all of this a non issue anyways.

**Downriviera** · January-12-12, 09:04 PM

Maroun's a pirate, and instead of walking the plank he should be made to walk his bridge to nowhere.

**Downriviera** · January-12-12, 09:08 PM

Name: Matty.JPG
Views: 613
Size: 28.0 KB

You know who the fuck I am?

**Enduro** · January-12-12, 10:11 PM

My caption: "Shit! Did I forget to pay him off?"

And as far as jail, let him rot. He is a criminal, he took tax payer money to build something to pre agreed specification and he deliberately built it to his own desires and advantage. That makes him a thief. He's had two years and warnings to comply or face jail, that look of shock is as much an insult as his noncompliance. This shouldn't shock him, he knew this was on deck. Yet his son persists that the ramp is to spec. They're so full of shit, I hope he stays in jail until he learns some humility.

This is a great day for justice. Sometimes, very rarely, a man who has greased every palm and has payed for the best lawyers still has to face the music for his crimes like any other citizen. They should commandeer his bridge like he took our park and streets if this persists.

**Hypestyles** · January-12-12, 10:38 PM

charlie leduff fumbled his way through a semi-defense of Moroun on Fox 2's "Let it Rip".. painting Moroun as a nice, from-the-bootstraps-guy.. geez..

**detroitsgwenivere** · January-12-12, 11:28 PM

Has LeDuff ever made comments in regard to this story or any bridge/Maroun related issues? I've never seen or heard him refer to any of this in previous news pieces and wonder why, if this is the case, they had him on the let it rip panel tonight?

**wolverine** · January-13-12, 12:12 AM

To the few people here that think the jail time wasn't justified, I just gotta say...your attitudes and complacency with the poor and disobedient actions businessman and politicians that run your city is disgusting.

**Wesley Mouch** · January-13-12, 02:50 AM

Originally Posted by wolverine

To the few people here that think the jail time wasn't justified, I just gotta say...your attitudes and complacency with the poor and disobedient actions businessman and politicians that run your city is disgusting.

Well said. Whether we agree or disagree with the court, respect is due. If you don't agree, pursue your legal options.

The man who stalls and deceives the court is not a gentleman. And the consequences should not be a surprise to anyone.

**East Detroit** · January-13-12, 03:20 AM

Does this mean no more windows work on the MCS?

**Dexlin** · January-13-12, 04:27 AM

Honestly, some of these responses - though, thankfully few and far between - are just hilarious. Yes, won't someone think of the poor, billionaire slumlord; won't anyone think of the poor, billionaire slumlord?!

Give me a f#ckin' break. He should be in jail if only for thinking that he could dick around a sitting judge forever because he's rich and powerful. If any of us "little people" had defied a court order, we'd have been in jail 30 years before last Tuesday. Dick around politicians all you want; think again if you think you're going to play the judicial system and get away with it all of the time.

Matty should be thanking Prentiss for tolerating his sh%t for as long as he did. The hubris of this cad, and his heir sounds even worse. Stay klassy, you maroons.

Ravine · January-13-12, 04:49 AM

Just so we're clear on this point:

I realize that the imagery of a guy like Maroun being stuck in a 6'x8', working in a chain-gang, having a tin saucer of gruel shoved through a door-slot to him once a day, and being repeatedly sodomized by a squad of guys who all are, through odd coincidence, named Bubba is very pleasing to many of you, but he's in jail [[probably not for long, either,) not in the general population of a prison 'til Hell-- or even Pinckney, Michigan-- freezes over, so that subscription, gratifying as it may be, can be cancelled.

Occurrence · January-13-12, 05:17 AM

I bet he's in one of the cozy private cells like his bohy Kwame had.

He must not have paid off or contributed to this Judge. It is actually strange that a wealthy person of this stature with powerful connections gets thrown in jail. Something went wrong. Maybe he got too cocky.

**luckycar** · January-13-12, 07:15 AM

William Sankbeil,Matty's attorney,gives the money line."To put an 84 year old gentleman of this age and stature in jail........"It's about time someone of his "stature" was forced to act like the rest of us rubes.Let those two watch each other take a crap in their nice hotel suite for a few days.
I still say when this is all done, the EPA,USGC,Homeland Security and the Canadian Govt.are going to find that the old Amb. Brg. is obsolete and a hazzard to shipping.This will take place soon after the new bridge is built.Which will be after pigs fly and the bought off politicos are term limited out of office.

**Meddle** · January-13-12, 07:25 AM

Personally, I think the US and Canadian governments should take joint ownership of it under Eminent Domain.

Not a penny to the Maroon Klan though.

**Meddle** · January-13-12, 08:15 AM

LATimes:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nati...to-canada.html

**Whitehouse** · January-13-12, 08:28 AM

New York Times.

**JBMcB** · January-13-12, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by professorscott

You are correct that Mr. Moroun and Mr. Stamper are not "criminals", in so far as neither has been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor. But contempt of court is a situation where it is a long-accepted practice of imprisoning people who are not criminals.

You are misinterpreting what I am saying. He disobeyed a direct order from the judge, the judge has every right to throw him in jail [[or fine him, or do pretty much anything he wants) However, disobeying a court order is not a criminal offense.

It may be semantics, but it's an important distinction. Again, these are civil proceedings and the rules are different.

If anyone has proof that he intended to defraud the state of Michigan through this contract, by all means, please, contact the prosecutor's office. I'm serious. A fraud case would be tough to prove [[especially with contracts involved) but would, more than anything, light a fire under the DIBC to get their act together and properly finish the gateway project.

**Downriviera** · January-13-12, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by detroitsgwenivere

Has LeDuff ever made comments in regard to this story or any bridge/Maroun related issues? I've never seen or heard him refer to any of this in previous news pieces and wonder why, if this is the case, they had him on the let it rip panel tonight?

I was wondering the same thing. LeDuff looked like he didn't want to be there. The women representing the neighborhood in the next segment would have been much better, but Fox 2 let Maroun Jr off the hook by not sitting him with them. Very dissapointing.

**Scottathew** · January-13-12, 09:27 AM

Maroun Jr. is such a lying pile of shit. He looks just like a political weasel in Warren, Joe Munem. I can't stand either one of them.

**Brian1979** · January-13-12, 09:30 AM

About damn time, I hope he has to be in there for awhile. Maybe he'll die in jail, that's awful to wish for but for a scumbag like Matty Maroun it would be wonderful. I still can't figure out why the Ambassador Bridge is even privately owned, it should be jointly owned between the U.S. and Canada.