The legal battle over the fate of former Michigan State Police sergeant and detective Brian Keely, who stands accused of the death of Samuel Sterling, remains on a federal course. According to FOX 17, a federal judge ruled against moving the case to state court, solidifying Judge Hala Jarbou's stance that federal jurisdiction is appropriate given Keely's status as a federal officer at the time of the incident.

In detail, despite efforts by Keely's defense to have the case heard at a state level and the Michigan Attorney General's Office citing a previous appellate ruling denying federal courts jurisdiction over former officers, Judge Jarbou's decision stands, as reported by WOOD TV, this is because Keely was acting under the supervision of the U.S. Marshals Service during the pursuit that led to Sterling's death. Although Keely retired from MSP the day charges were filed against him, he backdated his retirement to the date of the incident.

Judge Jarbou's nine-page decision highlighted the entitlement of Keely "to protection for his conduct during the attempted arrest of Sterling, including the protection of having his federal immunity defense decided in a federal forum," as stated in WOOD TV’s coverage. Keely's attorney, Marc Curtis, expressed his satisfaction with the ruling, saying, "We are beyond pleased with today’s ruling," looking forward to efforts to dismiss the charges.

On the charges of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, Keely had entered a not-guilty plea following the events of April 17 when Keely's cruiser struck Sterling during a chase that ended fatally. This series of events was captured on bodycam footage released by MSP, showing Sterling being hit and pinned against a Burger King wall, information which was also detailed in WZZM 13. Despite the disturbing footage and consequent death of Sterling, the legal justification for the federal court's jurisdiction relies heavily on Keely's then-active federal officer status as a member of the U.S. Marshals Service's task force.