For the second time in two months, parties are stipulating and asking the Michigan Supreme Court to dismiss their case after the court heard oral argument.

Oral argument was heard on December 4, 2024 in Hairston v Lku (166473). The parties filed a stipulation to dismiss on February 26, 2025. The court issued a unanimous opinion on April 4, 2025, and denied the stipulation to dismiss on April 7. The case had been pending since December 19, 2023.

And now a stipulation to dismiss was filed in Webster v Osguthorpe (166627). Webster has been pending since January 30, 2024. The court ordered oral argument on the application May 31, 2024 and heard argument on January 22, 2025. At least one other application has been abeyed while Webster awaits decision (166389-90). Nearly three months after oral argument and while the court is fashioning its order or opinion, the parties filed a stipulation to dismiss on April 17.

After a court has invested itself (including staff and clerk review, and multiple conferences), decided to hear argument (at the expense of delaying the argument for a different case), read all the briefing and prepared for argument, conferenced post-argument, and begins drafting the opinion or order, one would think a late-stage stipulation to dismiss would be frustrating.

Having two civil cases attempt this path in two months is most unusual.