Michigan Supreme Court allows judge to regulate witnesses' clothing

On June 17, the Michigan Supreme Court upheld the Hamtramck District Court judge's decision not to allow Ginnah Muhammad to testify in her Small Claims action without exposing her face.  Muhammad is a practicing Muslim who was attempting to contest a $3,000.00 charge from a car rental company, incurred after thieves broke into the car while she was renting it.  The Supreme Court issued an opinion granting judges "reasonable" control over witnesses' appearance after the judge insisted he needed to observe Muhammad's face in order to assess her credibility.