Prisoner who won Supreme Court case set to be paroled

Adrian, Mich. – A Detroit-area man convicted of murder is being released from prison, more than four years after winning an unusual case at the Michigan Supreme Court.

Matthew Makowski has been granted parole and is scheduled to leave prison Thursday. Gov. Jennifer Granholm reduced his no-parole sentence before leaving office in 2010 but then changed her mind.

The Supreme Court in 2014 said Granholm’s switch was illegal.

Makowski has been in prison for nearly 30 years for the death of a co-worker at a Dearborn health club. There’s no dispute that he arranged for Pete Puma to be robbed, but he insists he didn’t know Puma’s attacker would have a knife.

Makowski wasn’t present during the stabbing.

Attorney General Bill Schuette, the Republican candidate for governor, wants the parole board to keep Makowski locked up.