Bloomberg news reports that Manuel “Matty” Moroun, the billionaire owner of Detroit’s Ambassador Bridge, will appeal a Michigan judge’s ruling ordering him jailed for missing deadlines on a construction project.  Court imposed deadlines for improving freeway connections to the bridge were not met, and according to the judge, Moroun evidenced a refusal to meet the deadlines.  The court found Moroun in contempt of court and had him arrested and taken to jail.  Moroun's son, speaking on behalf of the company and his father, said that the judge had a personal vendetta against his dad and was acting without legal authority. 

The Ambassador bridge is a privately owned suspension bridge connecting Detroit Michigan with Windsor, Ontario, in Canada.  Moroun, billionaire from Gross Pointe Michigan, through his company the Detroit International Bridge Company, owns the bridge.  With ownership  of the bridge, Moroun enjoys a monopoly on all truck trafficking crossing the bridge.  A legal fight has been ongoing for years regarding construction to improve the bridge and/or construct a new bridge to accommodate the extensive traffic. 

Moroun has since been released from jail.