Case against Buchanan attorney charged with criminal sexual conduct delayed

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. (WNDU) - The case against a Buchanan attorney who is facing multiple charges of criminal sexual conduct has been delayed until late July.

According to our reporting partners at The Herald-Palladium, Lanny Fisher’s case is now being heard by Van Buren County District Judge Michael McKay after all Berrien County judges recused themselves from the case.

Fisher, 54, was arraigned in late April on nine counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, and four counts of misdemeanor prostitution related offenses.

Allegations include coerced sexual touching, penetration, and the request for sex as payment for legal services. The incidents allegedly spanned longer than a decade, from 2010 through 2022.

The Herald-Palladium reports seven of the third-degree counts involve women he allegedly forced to have sex with him at his office and his home, and two counts involve a female aged 13 to 15. The maximum penalty for those offenses is 15 years in prison.

The one fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct count is a high-court misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison. The four remaining misdemeanor counts carry a maximum penalty of 93 days in jail.

Fisher’s next pre-exam conference is set for July 26 and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 1.

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