ALT A person stands in a courtroom setting, wearing a prison jumpsuit. The image features text stating: "AG Nessel rebukes COA ruling to overturn conviction of Joseph Morrison. Pledges to appeal ruling and judges' finding that kidnapping not a violent felony." Source noted as The Detroit News.

ALT Quote from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel: This ruling is completely and irredeemably nonsensical, outrageous and irresponsible. For the panel to declare that kidnapping is not a violent felony strains all legal credibility and insults the intelligence of every person in this State. The Court twists itself into a knot using legal and linguistic gymnastics in order to liberate dangerous criminals using convoluted definitions of the crimes upon which they were convicted. The fact that the ruling comes a mere two days following the argument belies the eagerness to which the Court sought a means to justify this end.”

ALT Quote from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel: "This wasn’t an abstract or peaceful kidnapping case. The evidence presented at trial explicitly proved a considered and coordinated plan among these men to kidnap and brutally murder the Governor, killing as many members of law enforcement and residents of the community as necessary along the way. Kidnapping is violent and it is a felony. A unanimous Jackson County jury found Joseph Morrison guilty of every count against him after less than two days of deliberations. That this panel of judges found a way to excuse from these crimes their foundation in violence irresponsibly and unfathomably diminishes and whitewashes the crimes of Joseph Morrison and his many codefendants. It sends a deeply dangerous message, in a fraught and perilous time.”

ALT Quote from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel: "My office will not allow this to stand. We will not downplay violent terrorism, we will not accept violent threats against our elected leaders, and we will not abide the arbitrary defanging of the criminal statutes that preserve public safety and order in the State of Michigan. To restore sanity, protect our public servants, and uphold the rule of law, we are appealing this preposterous decision.”