Clare County officials are committed to transparency and accountability in the management of taxpayer funds. As part of ongoing efforts to provide clarity on the costs associated with the recent “Prosecutor vs. Clare County” lawsuit, filed by then Prosecutor Michelle Ambrozaitis, the County is releasing detailed financial information regarding the legal expenses incurred.
In total, Clare County has spent $109,339.97 in legal fees related to the case. This sum covers the costs associated with retaining external legal counsel, whose expertise was crucial in defending the County throughout the legal process.
Additionally, the Clare County Administrator has contributed significantly to managing the case. While it is difficult to pinpoint an exact number, it is estimated that the Administrator dedicated well over 1,000 hours to the case. The time spent on the lawsuit, including administrative duties, communications, and coordination, amounted to $72,700 in staff costs alone.
“We are committed to providing full transparency to the public regarding the costs of legal matters,” said Lori Phelps, Clare County Administrator. “The legal expenses, including the extensive time and effort devoted by the County Administrator, were necessary to ensure the County’s interests were protected throughout this process. We are pleased to provide the public with clear, accessible information about these costs.”
“Clare County continues to prioritize responsible fiscal management, and is confident that the actions taken were in the best interest of the County and its taxpayers, ensuring that meritless claims were not allowed to result in future unnecessary financial burden.”
For further background about the lawsuit below is a story filed in December:
Lawsuit against County Commissioners by Prosecutor dismissed
A lawsuit filed June 28, 2023 by Michelle Ambrozaitis, Clare County Prosecuting Attorney against the Clare County Board of Commissioners has been dismissed in 55th Circuit Court, after 39th Circuit Court Judge, the Honorable Judge Kimberly L. Booher signed the order on December 10th.
The dismissal was “Pursuant to the Order of the Michigan Court of Appeals dated November 14th.
Clare County Attorneys Bonnie Toskey and Sarah Osburne had requested a motion for Summary Disposition in the 55th Circuit Court by assigned Judge Kimberly Booher. Booher denied the motion to dismiss, however on November 14th, the Michigan Court of Appeals reversed Booher’s decision for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and she signed the order.
Ambrozaitis filed the lawsuit after several requests for more funds for the PA Office and finally a letter citing the County’s attorney shortage and the alleged inability of the office to maintain state-mandated functions (based on a study by the Prosecuting Attorney’s Association of Michigan.
Clare County Administrator Lori Phelps said she spent the time since the lawsuit was filed by “researching every county in Michigan and collecting ‘taxable values and county millages’.”
Our consensus (the administrator’s and the board of commissioners) is that, “We have funded the Clare Prosecutor’s Office higher than comparable counties in the state.”
“What that means,” Phelps said, “Is that ‘We can’t pay more (for that department) than we get in’.”
Ambrozaitis said in an earlier interview, “ Because of the staffing shortage, low pay compared to court appointed attorneys, caseloads that often necessitate working weekends and holidays, and difficulties in meeting the courts’ needs and the state requirements, all complicated by the County Commission being unwilling to provide an adequate staff for the county workload, Clare County Prosecutor has filed a lawsuit against the Clare County Board of Commissioners.
Phelps disagreed with the prosecutor’s claim, saying, “The Clare County Commissioners denied the claim maintaining that the level of support (for the office) was not only adequate, but the Clare County Prosecutor’s office maintained a higher number of employees than any other county compared.”
She continued, “It became very clear with the research and data collection, that not only does Clare County fund the Prosecutor’s office at a serviceable level, it is funded 35 percent higher than comparable counties. In addition, Clare County has funded a minimum of 2.5 more full-time employees in the prosecutor’s office than any other comparable county.”
Phelps added that her research was “certainly been an eye-opening experience and a lesson…It is truly unfortunate that it came down to taxpayer money defending this meritless case, but it was very much needed. The constant meritless demands for more money has got to stop.”
She explained, “I am not saying that increases are out the door, I am saying that we need to be reasonable. Clare County has a comparable package to what other counties in similar positions, with similar job duties and similar ability to pay, have.”
She said Clare County will be filing a Motion seeking the current Prosecutor, Michelle Ambrozaitis pay the County’s attorney fees.
Saturday, March 21, 2026
The entire Clare County Government is corrupt. Leading the charge are the very corrupt Sheriffs Dept. and Michele Ambrozitis!!!!
They also abuse vulnerable adults and get government agencies and states that obstruct their Justice so they can’t call public services and get removed out of their home that was refinanced and I really hope somebody tells me to prove it because it’s very easy to prove but the police wouldn’t let me do police reports including local FBI precinct I can’t imagine why that would be they wouldn’t even take that evidence look at that and then its far worse then that we have the devices recordings of the instruction but don’t go against Clare county they’ll get all sorts of people abusing a dying man recording me calling APS investigating … spectrum themselves wrote a letter to my email saying that they don’t know how unauthorized access was made to my own spectrum account and then that clare county prosecutor now judge decides to rule against me that says I don’t have it in my name and then all the sudden all my devices are hacked it’s a beautiful thing to have corruption like this and this government and the states just to blame to and please tell me to prove it because I’ll post it right here I wasn’t there for that hearing when I was moved out we recorded them saying I vacated a month prior to bad my palliative care appointment was the day before. Then sued me and the opposing council won for damages as my disability and hospital stay was near death not letting me get my palliative care a case that was ruled the default judgment set for 17 days later another lawyer pulled out on May 27th that I couldn’t afford the case for it to be retried was supposed to be June 15th I came in at 9:00 a.m. listed as a pro say watching my website be listed with me walking around when I’m a muscular dystrophy patient they told me at 9:00 a.m. on the 27th I wasn’t allowed to turn in evidence she wasn’t going to take evidence and at 11:00 a.m. on May 27th for June 15th they said it wasn’t a default judgment the reason why is because they put warrants most likely I’m assuming on my phone and they did it saying that it was her phone because her lawyer was out of control and asked three different times for my information to prove it was in my name on September 1st this state is so filthy disgusting and corrupt I want to throw up I’m dying was removed from my home obstructed and then abused by this dates judge and ex parte communication admitted then after suing me for damages that she was to write up the judgment meaning the lawyer and held me in contempt to court for something I didn’t say while telling me in a conversation I downloaded that I had to be there in person knowing I couldn’t afford it this is Claire county and this is what they do and please for the love of God open up an investigation LOL but you won’t and you’ll continue to attack me I’ve been being abused for 3 years I tried to call the cops 23 times on recording and they refused to do any sort of investigation because they were the ones that were abusing me and again have the evidence turned away at Michigan State Police after saying my name on five occasions went into the police precinct to talk to him a dozen times the only numbers I could call was 911 in my mom to further abuse me I’m a muscular dystrophy little girl palliative care patient and this is how Michigan truly treats their vulnerable adults I do not care what repercussions causes I think it needs to be heard I figured the ex-partner stole my identity not realizing that it was a Clair county courts corrupt sheriff and working directly in their own admission but what they say is they had to get the police involved I have proof that the problem is when the police got involved to remove someone trying to advocate for a house he always paid for I’ll also post that online along with the recordings and videos if you would like I also stated at 1109 during the pull out of the lawyer with the papers in front of me that I wasn’t present for the ruling and my account was accessed these people are garbage and I really hope someone picks this up if the news really gives a shit about the way I was treated I have the federal violations this corrupt state is covering up 😉 they also claimed that they tried to get a hold of me for my possessions when I lost everything that phone was reported as stolen and I was told that I had the subpoena the device when they were using Telecom to forward my calls I just want this all out in the open she wanted to get me for contempt when they sued me for her lawyers expenses when it was about 60,000 before court even started they were intentionally abusing me out of the home it’s disgusting what they did and I said by the way you corrupt judge that that is effing ridiculous and a lie and it was and my mom recorded your court clerk telling her that you told me that I could zoom in you people are the worst human beings I’ve ever seen in my life and the fact the state and agencies have continued to abuse me the state of Michigan is just as much of not more disgusting on every level of the government they’ve refused to talk to me not looked at evidence refuse to because they were the ones abusing me the bias has been disgusting and humiliating and a lie and the judge is not only compromised assisted in the abuse to continue to obstruct me
If clare county prosecuter department is getting 35% more in revenue then other counties in the state, where is the money going, yes investigation is needed, and yes, we taxpayers don’t need to pay for ambroziateses wants, she’s been fowl since her election date. She should pay for her own.
Now it makes sense why the cops are so crooked in Harrison making up lies that the court defends for a quick conviction and quick money the members of this community dont have. 1,000 hours of attorney costs?!? Thats the proof in the pudding. Clare county gets more money than most other counties? Why its smaller than most? It doesnt need a giant jail or as many crooked officers bending the law to their will in order to harass and enslave its own community to make up for the counties defecit. Elon Musk with Doge need to investigate harrison….