Michigan’s top court rejects appeal of Nassar sentence

CHARLOTTE, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from former sports doctor Larry Nassar, which means a 40-year prison sentence for assaulting gymnasts will stand.

Nassar is under two identical sentences from judges in two Michigan counties. The Supreme Court’s brief order covers the sentence for molesting gymnasts at an Eaton County gym, near Lansing. The court declined to take Nassar’s appeal.

Separately, the state appeals court still is reviewing a 40-year sentence handed down in Ingham County. The court is considering whether Nassar’s rights were violated by provocative remarks from Judge Rosemarie Aquilina.

Nassar worked at Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics, which trains elite gymnasts. Even before his state sentences begin, he’s serving decades in federal prison for possessing child pornography.