The state of Michigan filed suit Friday night seeking an unusual temporary restraining order for important and obvious reasons. The school hopes to have his suspension lifted in time for Saturday’s game at Penn State. The game begins at noon ET.
It is difficult to get the court to stop what the parties are planning. Typically, action is taken and the legal system then determines whether the law provides a remedy. Relief is usually a cash payment.
So-called preliminary relief is available when a plaintiff can prove that “irreparable harm” will occur without the court’s intervention. This means that if the party trying to do something now is allowed to do it, awarding cash later will not solve the damage that is happening now.
That’s what Michigan and Harbaugh need to prove. No court decision, verdict, or future outcome can repair the damage caused by not allowing Harbaugh to coach.
It is also important to show that Michigan is likely to ultimately prevail. The closer the legal issue is presented, the more difficult it will be to get the courts to intervene.
That’s the key here. The court system is primarily premised on cleaning up messes. In some cases, efforts are made to prevent the mess, with the argument that the mess can never be cleaned up.
Anyway, it’s already a mess. The clock is ticking towards kickoff, but there’s still no ruling. It needs to happen as soon as possible.