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University of Michigan Law Student Should Have Come to ATL First

Friday, December 12, 2008 1:51 PM - By Elie Mystal

michigan law school strikes back.jpgI know a lot of readers think we have an ax to grind with the University of Michigan Law School (even though we take pot shots at Head Coach Sweater Vest at every opportunity). We like Michigan. Maybe if more U-M Law students trusted that, a certain student would have come to ATL instead of the police. At least then she wouldn’t have been (immediately) charged with a crime for her involvement in a prostitution scandal that also implicated a U-M Near Eastern Studies professor:

The case came to light in April when the student went to an Ann Arbor police station to report she was assaulted by [Professor Yaron] Eliav after they met at a hotel on the city’s north side.

The student told police she was advertising sex acts online via Craigslist to help pay tuition costs. For an in-state student, U-M Law School tuition is $41,500 a year; out-of-state students pay $44,500.

The student told police she reluctantly agreed to allow Eliav to strike her buttocks with a belt, but got upset when he slapped her in the face twice, reports said. She said she suffered vision problems afterward, but did not have any lasting injuries.

Even the Ann Arbor police couldn’t keep from cracking wise about the law student’s
“term-time job.”

The rarity of how the case began - with a law student showing up at the police department’s front desk to report she was assaulted while committing a crime herself - was not lost on investigators.

“Perhaps she should have cracked a legal textbook before coming in to the police station to talk about this,” Ann Arbor Detective Sgt. Richard Kinsey said.

More fun details after the jump.

If the allegations are true, then we can say that there is at least one U-M law student who is more nervous about her future career prospects than “Nervous T-10 1L.”

Obviously, the future career prospects of the college professor don’t look too bright either:

When he was interviewed by police, Eliav said he responded to the online ad because he was interested in experimenting sexually. He said he complied when she told him to stop certain activities and admitted to slapping her face, but said it was “like a game,” reports said.

Eliav also called the woman a willing participant and said they hugged at the end of the encounter, reports said.

It appears Eliav knew the woman was a law school student, but it not clear from the police reports whether he knew that going into the encounter. He told investigators the money he paid the woman was simply “a token,” and called her “a bored college student.”

I thought getting slapped in the face while getting screwed for a nominal fee was something only bored U-M football players do. Maybe when the professor saw the prone law student, he just assumed she was practicing for the Ohio State game.

(Sorry. I’ll stop. I made a simple “statement” that the winningest program in all of college football history would win more than FIVE GAMES this year; … now I’ve lost a massive amount my of Half-Skadden prestige bonus.)

In any event:

Police reports also indicate the student admitted to arranging money-for-sex deals with about eight or nine men in April and May, saying she needed the money for tuition. The student said she advertised online and got to her appointments using hourly rental cars available on campus through Zipcar, according to police reports.

Michigan. Prostitution. Zipcars! Rick Wagoner, take a look at your future.

University of Michigan investigates professor’s involvement in prostitution case with law student [MLive.com]

Earlier: Michigan Law School Circles The Wagons (Almost)

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Posted in: Bad Ideas, Crime, Law Schools, Prostitution, Sex, Sex Scandals, University of Michigan Law School

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