%1
Rosa Parks Lawyer Dodges Jail Amid Hunt for Artifacts
Rosa Parks’ lawyer avoided jail yesterday and received three more weeks to turn over a missing treasure trove of civil rights, Motown and African American objects, the Detroit News reported. Bankruptcy Judge Marci McIvor made the decision during a tense meeting with bankruptcy officials who accused Detroit lawyer Gregory Reed of failing to surrender historically significant assets as ordered in his long-running bankruptcy case. Judge McIvor wants lawyers for bankruptcy trustee Kenneth Nathan to determine the value of the approximately 135 missing items, which include Parks’ key to the city of Detroit, iron slave shackles, a first-edition autographed copy of educator Booker T. Washington’s 1901 autobiography “Up From Slavery” and gold records awarded to Motown stars. The judge is concerned about risings costs in the three-year-old bankruptcy case, which are eating into money available for creditors.
Civil Rights, Motown Memorabilia at Issue in Bankruptcy Case
A bankruptcy lawyer alleges that more than 100 pieces of civil rights memorabilia, Motown and African-American history have disappeared and Rosa Parks’ lawyer should be jailed until the items are found, the Detroit News reported. The allegation emerged in the bankruptcy case of prominent Detroit attorney Gregory Reed, a case that features claims about mansions with secret rooms, crates crammed full of historical objects and missing artifacts. The list of missing items includes iron slave shackles, an early draft of a Parks book, a century-old book signed by educator Booker T. Washington and gold records awarded to Motown artists including The Marvelettes. Reed should be jailed until he reveals the location of the missing property and returns the items, a lawyer for bankruptcy trustee Kenneth Nathan wrote in a court filing. If the property was sold, Reed should relinquish the money, the lawyer argues. Reed also should be fined every day until he complies with court orders, according to the trustee’s legal team.

Paying More on Student Loans Isn’t Unfair Discrimination Automatically
October Total Bankruptcy Filings Increase Slightly over Previous Year, Business Filings Drop
Total U.S. bankruptcy filings increased 2 percent in October 2017 over October of last year, according to data provided by Epiq Systems, Inc. Filings totaled 64,579 in October 2017, up slightly from the October 2016 total of 63,082. Consumer bankruptcies also increased in October 2017, as the 61,590 filings were 3 percent more than the 60,005 consumer filings registered in October 2016. Commercial bankruptcy filings totaled 2,989 in October 2017, a 3 percent decrease from the 3,077 commercial filings in October 2016. Commercial chapter 11 filings registered the steepest drop, as the 316 filings in October 2017 were down 22 percent from the October 2016 commercial chapter 11 filing total of 405.
