Order Michigan Supreme Court
Lansing, Michigan
October 20, 2017 Stephen J. Markman,
Chief Justice
Brian K. Zahra
Bridget M. McCormack
155747-8 David F. Viviano
Richard H. Bernstein
Joan L. Larsen
Kurtis T. Wilder,
PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, Justices
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v SC: 155747-8
COA: 332879; 333872
Wayne CC: 16-001606-FC
LOVELL CHARLES SHARPE,
Defendant-Appellant.
____________________________________/
On order of the Court, the application for leave to appeal the March 16, 2017
judgment of the Court of Appeals is considered, and it is GRANTED. The parties shall
address: (1) whether evidence related to the complainant’s pregnancy, abortion, and lack
of other sexual partners was within the scope of the rape-shield statute, MCL 750.520j(1),
i.e., whether this evidence constituted “[e]vidence of specific instances of the victim’s
sexual conduct, opinion evidence of the victim’s sexual conduct, [or] reputation evidence
of the victim’s sexual conduct . . .”; (2) if the evidence was within the scope of the
rape-shield statute, whether it was nonetheless admissible under one of the exceptions set
forth at MCL 750.520j(1); and (3) if the evidence was not within the scope of the
rape-shield statute, whether it was admissible under general rules governing the
admissibility of evidence, see MRE 402 and MRE 403. The time allowed for oral
argument shall be 20 minutes for each side. MCR 7.314(B)(1).
We further ORDER the Wayne Circuit Court to appoint attorney Syed Ahmadul
Huda (P76498) to represent the defendant pro bono in this Court.
I, Larry S. Royster, Clerk of the Michigan Supreme Court, certify that the
foregoing is a true and complete copy of the order entered at the direction of the Court.
October 20, 2017
a1017
Clerk