Posts Tagged As: Andrew Shirvell

The last we hear about Andrew Shirvell (I hope)

Timothy Kincaid

November 2nd, 2015

It’s been more than five years now since Andrew Shirvell began to entertain us. Combining prissy manners with rants about “radical homosexual agendas” and a personal obsession with University of Michigan Student Body President Chris Armstrong, Shirvell seemed more like a character from Saturday Night Live than an assistant attorney general.

We watched as his boss, Attorney General Mike Cox, first defended him and then gave him leave before booting his butt out the door.

And then there was the lawsuit in which Armstrong accused Shirvell of defamation. In a glorious moment of legal comedy, Shirvell served as his own attorney, questioning himself and giving himself answers under oath, before admitting that he hadn’t bothered any other gay activists or school administrators and had, instead, obsessed on Armstrong.

We watched his sad attempts at countersuing Armstrong and Armstrong’s lawyer. Both were tossed.

He had a moment of happiness when a court ruled that he was entitled to unemployment payments. But then an appeals court decided that being batpoop crazy and cyberstalking citizens from government computers was a legitimate cause for being fired.

Then the jury awarded Armstrong 4.5 million dollars, which a generous appeals court cut down to 3.5 million.

And now comes, I believe, the final chapter of Andrew Shirvell’s public life. (Detroit Free Press)

The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a former lawyer for the state of Michigan who lost a defamation lawsuit filed by a gay student at the University of Michigan.

The justices on Monday let stand a lower court ruling that upheld a $3.5 million jury award to Chris Armstrong, a former student government president.

I don’t know what Shirvell is doing these days. I doubt that it’s practicing law, as he has shown a remarkable inability to understand either its application or administration. But who knows.

All I hope for him is that he resolves whatever it is that compelled him to lurk outside Armstrong’s home, read his Facebook posts, and follow him around. And I hope that this closes the final chapter in Andrew Shirvell’s public humiliation.

Glorious news for Andrew Shirvell

Timothy Kincaid

February 2nd, 2015

Andrew Shirvell, the former Michigan Assistant Attorney General who lost his job after cyber-bullying Chris Armstrong, the Student Body President of the University of Michigan, has finally had some good news.

Well, it’s a mixed bag, really. He also got some news he wasn’t wanting to hear.

Shirvell had been hoping to get another trial on the defamation case he lost to Armstrong. The first one didn’t go so well, you see. Shirvell’s attorney on the case (himself) was extremely incompetent and the result was a jury award far far greater than Armstrong had requested.

But the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals did not grant Shirvell a do-over. I guess they had reached their public circus budget for the year. Too bad.

But now to the good news. The court cut the amount that Shirvell owes Armstrong. By a million dollars. A million freaking dollars. Who wouldn’t want their debt cut by a million bucks?

Now Shirvell only owes $3.5 million. And what a relief that must be.

Another sad day for Andrew Shirvell

Timothy Kincaid

January 13th, 2015

It seems like every day is Andrew Shirvell’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

For a while it seemed like things were going wonderfully. Shirvell was accepted to Ave Maria School of Law, a Catholic law school with teachings that are “in fidelity to the Catholic Faith as expressed through Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and the teaching authority of the Church”. And after school he got a prestigious position as Michigan Assistant Attorney General.

But things took a tick in the wrong direction in March 2010 when Chris Armstrong was elected Student Body President at University of Michigan. Armstrong was a Radical Homosexual Activist, you see.

And rather handsome.

So Shirvell decided that he needed to keep an eye on things. Not having the distractions of wife or family, Shirvell had plenty of time to keep track of what kind of radical homosexual agenda Armstrong was up to and report on it in a blogsite dedicated to just that purpose.

He hid in Armstrong’s bushes, peered in his windows, and followed him on campus taking pictures to post on chris-armstrong-watch.blogspot.com. He posted pictures of Armstrong with swastikas scribbles on his face and accused him of being racist and a pervert and Satan’s representative on the Student Council.

His efforts caught him some attention, such as an interview with Anderson Cooper. Shirvell probably thought that was going to be a good day, but… well… it really wasn’t.

At first his boss, AG Mike Cox defended Shirvell’s right to “free speech outside work hours”. Cox even went on Cooper’s show to defend him. That proved not to be a good day for either of them.

In October 2010, Shirvell took an “indefinite personal leave”, with the expectation of returning to his job after things quieted down and people stopped asking his boss if he usually hired escapees from the looney bin. Nevertheless, no, not a good day.

But on November 8, 2010, Andrew was fired. It seems that some of his cyber-stalking was done on office computers. Definitely a terrible, horrible day.

But that wasn’t no good, very bad enough. Armstrong sued Shirvell for harassment, asking for $25,000. And being short on funds, Shirvell chose to hire a lawyer that didn’t have the best track record: himself.

Maybe he thought it a daring strategy, but when he spent an hour questioning himself on the stand, it probably didn’t give quite the impression that he wanted. The jury didn’t think that Armstrong’s request was reasonable and came back with different verdict: 4.5 million dollars. Definitely a no good day, no good at all.

He then tried to sue Armstrong’s attorney for suggesting that he wasn’t the brightest bulb in the hallway. (What are they teaching at Ave Maria? Yikes!). But the judge tossed the case saying that the attorneys statements were either her opinion or, perhaps, true. Terrible, check; horrible, check; no good, check; very bad, check.

But there was a bright ray of sunshine in the dark. In December 2012, Judge Paula Manderfield told the state of Michigan that they had to pay Shirvell unemployment. He had a First Amendment right to say crazy wackadoodle things and not be fired for it. So there’s that.

But this week he had another terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. A Michigan appeals court ruled that he doesn’t get any unemployment compensation after all. Embarrassing your boss and discrediting the state isn’t protected speech, it turns out. (Detroit Free Press)

The attorney general’s office was justified in firing Andrew Shirvell in 2010 because his posts on Facebook and an anti-gay blog, as well as his campus visits and TV appearances, clearly had an adverse impact on the agency’s credibility, the court said in a 3-0 decision released Friday.

“Shirvell’s conduct undermined one of the department’s specific missions — i.e. the integrity of its anti-cyberbullying campaign,” said judges Stephen Borrello, Christopher Murray and Peter O’Connell. “By employing an individual such as Shirvell, whose conduct Cox agreed amounted to bullying, the department undermined its own message.”

Ya think?

Andrew plans on appealing to the Michigan Supreme Court.

“Every public employee, whether liberal or conservative, will now be in fear of what they’re doing on their off hours,” he said.

Yep, Andrew Shirvell is still nutty as squirrel poo. And he has probably moved his obsession on to some other handsome radical homosexual activist and is busy creeping out whomever he meets.

But at this point all I can feel for him is pity. That’s a long string of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.

Andrew Shirvell update

Timothy Kincaid

September 17th, 2013

Remember Andrew Shirvell?

He was that conservative Catholic who came out of Ave Maria Law School and went to work as an assistant attorney general for Michigan AG Mike Cox (R). Ya know, the 32 year old single fellow who decided to closely monitor the radical homosexual agenda of Christopher Armstrong, the handsome young student body president at Michigan State.

The one who dedicated a blog to exposing Armstrong’s evil homosexuality (chris-armstrong-watch.blogspot.com) and who was so committed to observing Armstrong that he followed him around with a camera and crouched in his bushes and tried to look in his windows. To report on Armstrong’s radical homosexual agenda.

Well the last time we mentioned Andrew, it wasn’t good news. A jury had just awarded a 4.5 million dollar verdict to Armstrong in his civil suit against Shirvell for stalking. Although Andrew served as his own attorney, and even questioned his client on the stand, he wasn’t able to get by the slippery questions of Deborah Gordon, Armstrong’s attorney.

Well, it turns out that I missed a little detail from the story. It seems that back in October 2011, Shirvell became convinced that everyone was in a conspiracy to get him. And the conspiracy centered around Gordon, who Sirvell asserted knew the people at the AG’s office who investigated him before he was fired.

So he sued Gordon for defamation. She was trying to destroy his image and besmirch his character. She said horrible things about him like that Shirvell was a “rebel without a clue” and he didn’t want anyone to think he’s a rebel. And she caused him emotional distress. And so the lawsuit began.

In the meanwhile, in late December last year there was some good news on the legal front. Although his former buddies at the Attorney General’s office and the folks at the unemployment administration sought otherwise, a judge ruled that he could keep his unemployment benefits. Which, I’m certain, made for a very happy New Year.

Well, this week Andrew found the latest legal determination. But this time it was not particularly good news. (AP)

Detroit federal Judge Arthur Tarnow on Tuesday said Deborah Gordon’s comments about Andrew Shirvell were either true or opinions and showed no malice. He dismissed the case.

So it looks like Gordon will not be helping him pay his judgment. But, hey, he has those unemployment payments and lots of free time and, who knows, maybe he’ll sue the judge. Or, if he hasn’t picked up other better employment, I bet the anti-radical-homosexual-agenda law groups could use another attorney. He’s certainly as qualified as Mat Staver or Matt Barber.

Actually, tossing the case may be the best Shirvell could hope for. Part of his claim was that Gordon described him as a “troubled and immature young man” and that he “seems to be delusional”, which Shirvell asserted was defamatory. So Gordon asked the judge to resolve that matter of dispute by have Shirvell examined by a psychiatrist or psychologist so as to see whether her statements were defamatory. And while there is little doubt that Shirvell could benefit from therapy or perhaps medication, one has to be willing to accept help for it to be beneficial.

Shirvell’s unhappy day

Timothy Kincaid

August 16th, 2012

Andrew Shirvell certainly can’t be very happy about the results of his trial. (Detroit News)

A federal court jury Thursday awarded $4.5 million to a gay former University of Michigan student body president who accused a former state attorney of stalking him, according to the lawyer.

Deborah Gordon said the jury came back with the verdict late Thursday afternoon. The civil case involved Andrew Shirvell, the former assistant attorney general fired in 2010 after he criticized Christopher Armstrong, an openly gay former University of Michigan student.

But I guess the upside is that unless Shirvell’s a trust fund baby, he has an excuse to keep in contact with Armstrong for the rest of his life. I have no idea as to Shirvell’s employment status, but I suspect that it would take him approximately 1,875 years to pay off that award.

Shirvell’s lawyer had a fool for a client

Timothy Kincaid

August 15th, 2012

Do you remember Andrew Shirvell? He was the Michigan assistant attorney general who became obsessed with Chris Armstrong, the University of Michigan’s student body president, and starting stalking him and ranting on a blog about him. Here’s a reminder from September 2010:

Of course eventually the Attorney General fired him and he was sued by Armstrong for inflicting intentional emotional harm.

Well finally Shirvell had his day in court.

And do you recall the old phrase about the lawyer who represents himself having a fool for a client? It turns out that it’s true.

Detroit Free Press:

Shirvell, who is representing himself, questioned himself on the witness stand for more than an hour this morning, trying to convince the jury he was upset by Armstrong’s push for gender-neutral housing at the school. Shirvell graduated from U-M in 2002.

“My blog was political speech,” Shirvell testified. “I viewed my blog as a movement to get Mr. Armstrong to resign. I personally felt Mr. Armstrong was too radical for the position.”

And though he rambled about Armstrong’s “radical homosexual agenda”, Mr. Armstrong’s attorney got Shirvell to admit that he hadn’t written about any of the others involved in pro-gay policies. Or lurked in their bushes. Or even complained to the school’s administration.

I think we all can surmise why it is that Shirvell focused his attentions on the rather handsome Armstrong. In fact, I think the only person who Shirvell has fooled is himself.

Shirvell fired

Timothy Kincaid

November 8th, 2010

Having finally been determined to be too much of an embarrassment to work for the Michigan Attorney General’s office as an assistant DA (something I knew immediately), Andrew Shirvell has been fired by his boss (and onetime defender) Mike Cox. (Ann Arbor)

Shirvell was fired for using state resources for his campaign against University of Michigan student body President Chris Armstrong and for lying to investigators during his disciplinary hearing, Attorney General Mike Cox said in a statement.

That and making a fool of himself on television repeatedly.

Michigan Assistant AG Takes Leave Of Absence Amid Cyber-Stalking Controversy

Jim Burroway

October 1st, 2010

Andrew Shirvell

Andrew Shirvell

Michigan Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell has taken an indefinite personal leave of absence from his job amid national controversy over his cyber-stalking blog dedicated to attacking a University of Michigan student. A spokesman for Attorney General Mike Cox, who has defended Shirvell’s continued employment with the AG’s office, said that Shirvell will be subject to a disciplinary hearing after he returns to work.

Meanwhile, Shirvell’s blog, Chris Armstrong Watch, which cyber-stalks the openly gay president of University of Michigan’s student government, is now locked and is available by invitation only. Past posts however are still available on Google’s cache.

Several of Shirvell’s posts appear to indicate that his stalking activities go beyond cyber-stalking, and appear to take on aspects of actual physical stalking. Shirvell has been spotted “protesting” in front of Armstrong’s home, crashing a house party that Armstrong hosted, and following Armstrong’s friends around campus. UM’s campus police confirm that Shirvell has been banned from campus beginning Sept 14, and is being investigated for “harassing or stalking” Armstrong.

Armstrong is seeking a restraining order against Shirvell. That hearing will be held on October 4. In Armstrong’s application for a restraining order, he makes clear that he is now in fear for his safety: (PDF: 5 pages 3.3MB)

“The actions that Mr. Shirvell has taken against me over the past 4 months have been incredibly distressing. If it were University of Michigan students or administrators who were taking these actions it would be a very different conversation since my position is to serve the currently enrolled University of Michigan students. However, since he isn’t a student his actions are concerning and make me feel unsure about my own safety.”

Michigan AG Defends Employee’s Cyber-bullying

Jim Burroway

September 30th, 2010

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox says state Assistant AG Andrew Shirvell is only expressing his opinions, which has nothing to do with his job defending crime victims — including, presumably, victims of cyber-bullying:

Campus Pride has re-issued its 2010 survey of American college students, which found that 33% of gay and 30% of transgender students, faculty, and staff have seriously considered leaving their institution due to the challenging anti-LGBT climate. Thirteen percent of gay students, faculty and staff and 43% of transgender students, faculty and staff fear for their own physical safety. A 2006 poll by Harris Interactive found that 43% of all teens regardless of sexual orientation have experienced cyber-bullying over the prior year. An Iowa State University study found that LGBT youth are hit especially hard by cyber-bullying.

But AG Cox sees nothing wrong with cyber-bullying this particular college student. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

Oh, by the way — Shirvell served as Cox’s campaign manager back in 2006.

Michigan Assistant DA Andrew Shirvell: raging homophobe, stalker, dumb as a box of rocks

Timothy Kincaid

September 29th, 2010

When Thomas Monaghan, the founder of the Dominos Pizza Chain, sold his business for $1 billion in 1998, he decided to dedicate the rest of his life to advancing his faith.

Unfortunately his faith is Catholicism of the Papa Ratzi / Mel Gibson variety, strong on bronze age moralism and devoted to making you follow the rules that Monaghan is sure that God wants you to follow. He is passionate about abortion issues and believes that one of the best ways to achieve a nation that obeys the Church is to create an army of lawyers who will fight for the views of the Church.

So Monaghan founded the Thomas More Law Center, an anti-gay, anti-abortion activist organization. He also funded the Ave Maria School of Law, a Catholic law school with teachings that are “in fidelity to the Catholic Faith as expressed through Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and the teaching authority of the Church” and which would send out graduates “equipped for leading positions in law firms, corporate legal offices, the judiciary, and national, state, and local government.”

As Ave Maria is fairly young and is among what is generously referred to as “second tier law schools”, I haven’t learned that much about them. While I knew that they included as friends and supporters Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, I’ve not yet had much opportunity to see what caliber of person they are unleashing on the nation. Until now.

The public has recently been introduced to what must be among Ave Maria’s highest profile alumni, Michigan Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell. Now how Shirvell came to be qualified for his position can be debated, but as Attorney General Mike Cox is also a conservative Republican Catholic, I suspect that Shirvell’s hard-core extremist Catholic ideology did not count as a liability.

And Shirvell has made his mark, though for work performed outside of his job qualification. And quite a mark it is.

You see, Andrew Shirvell has been, in his off time, writing a blog. And this blog is dedicated to one subject: exposing the “radical homosexual agenda” of the University of Michigan student body president Chris Armstrong. And let me tell ya, it’s quite the blog.

Welcome to “Chris Armstrong Watch.” This is a site for concerned University of Michigan alumni, students, and others who oppose the recent election of Chris Armstrong – a RADICAL HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVIST, RACIST, ELITIST, & LIAR – as the new head of student government.

Prior to Armstrong’s March, 2010, election as president of the Michigan Student Assembly (MSA), Armstrong served as chairman of MSA’s LGBT commission – a commission that solely focused on utilizing the student government to promote the radical homosexual agenda, including gay “marriage” and adoption “rights.” As chair, Armstrong also succeeded in lobbying for the annual Midwest LGBT College Conference to take place at U of M in 2011. This conference has a notorious reputation for promoting decadence, including illegal drug use and public sex acts.

Andrew Shirvell is like Peter LaBarbera, but with a real job. A very powerful job. And one that his boss, Mike Cox, seems to have no interest in rethinking. (Detroit Free Press)

“All state employees have a right to free speech outside working hours,” Cox said in a statement today. “But Mr. Shirvell’s immaturity and lack of judgment outside the office are clear.”

But this goes beyond “lack of judgment”. It is obsessive, abusive, and perhaps illegal – though when you work for the state Attorney General, “illegal” is a subjective term.

But while Cox’s lack of judgment in hiring an extremist wackadoodle is disconcerting, it is also troubling that he hired – with taxpayer funds – a bumbling fool. Now having been exposed to just what kind of lawyer that Monaghan is making, we can see that his business model hasn’t changed: put out the lowest quality in town.

I mean, if Shirvell was a pizza, there would be no detectable meat-product in his pepperoni. I’m talking cheese so processed that Shirvell was willing to go on Anderson Cooper’s 360 and show the world just what kind of sauceless crust he is:

Well I guess the good news is that we have less to fear from an army of idiots.

    

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