Funeral mass held for former judge

A funeral mass was held Saturday in Kalamazoo for former U.S. District Judge Richard Enslen who died Tuesday. During his 30 years on the federal bench, the 83-year old Enslen ruled on a number of major cases in Michigan, one of which changed high school athletics. Enslen held that under Title IX of federal law guaranteeing equal education between the sexes, Michigan high schools had to switch when they scheduled girls basketball and volleyball seasons. Before the ruling, girls basketball was in the fall while boys was in the winter, and volleyball was played in the winter. Enslen also ruled on what was one of the leading environmental cases in the state: the use of gill nets. Indian commercial fishers wanted to use the nets, which they said were permitted under their 19th century treaties. Environmentalists and sports anglers argued the nets allowed for overfishing. Judge Enslen ruled that treaties held and that the tribes had to be allowed to use the nets.  (MRN)