Matty Moroun
Matty Moroun
If anything is clear, Matty Moroun, owner of the Ambassador Bridge, is locked in a tough legal battle that isn't ending anytime soon.
On Wednesday, he was dealt a setback when a judge ruled that an agreement between Michigan’s governor and Canadian government is valid.
Mark Hicks of The Detroit News reports:
In a ruling read from the bench, Wayne County Circuit Court Chief Judge Robert Colombo Jr. declared a deal legal that Gov. Rick Snyder struck with Canada in 2012 — and bypassed Michigan’s Legislature — to construct a second bridge connecting Detroit to Canada.
Ambassador owner Manuel “Matty” Moroun has long been fighting the proposed Gordie Howe International Bridge in state and federal courts. Last year, state officials sued his Detroit International Bridge Co. and related entities to acquire between 20 and 30 parcels of land the groups own in the city’s Delray neighborhood near the proposed new publicly owned span.
A critical part of the DIBC challenge to the case was the legality of the 2012 pact. Attorney Mike Cox, who is representing Moroun, called the ruling Wednesday “the first in many decisions in the litigation.”
In September, the Canadian government granted Moroun a key permit to erect a replacement span as part of his proposed Ambassador Bridge Enhancement Project.