A federal judge has ruled against issuing a preliminary injunction in a federal lawsuit aimed at blocking a deal that would bring the Detroit Pistons back to downtown Detroit.
This new suit is attempting to shut down the funding process, blocking the use of taxpayer money for the project.
Monday's federal court hearing and ruling comes just a week after the lawyers for the Downtown Development Authority asked the federal judge to dismiss the suit, claiming it could cause massive harm to the city.
In his ruling, Judge Mark Goldsmith agreed. Finding that as one of the reasons to deny an injunction in the case.
The suit, which was filed by D. Etta Wilcoxon and Robert Davis, also contended that the agreement to move the tax dollars would violate Detroiters voting rights.
Goldsmith found that was not the case, writing that, while the decision may not comport to government financing laws, it did not violate the right to vote because the "votes had been, by all accounts, properly and fairly cast and counted.
He also found, "Plaintiffs have not shown a strong likelihood of success on the merits" of the case.
Detroit City Council will soon hold a vote to modify bonds to accommodate changes in the downtown plan associated with the Pistons’ move.
