In the last year, there has been a lot of “buzz” about expungement of criminal records in Michigan. In 2020, Michigan passed a series of “clean-slate” initiatives which expanded eligibility for people to seek expungements, and in many cases,…
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Many Michigan residents are proud gun owners. People use and rely on guns for a wide range of recreation, hunting, and protection purposes. However, these same Michigan residents often get into serious legal trouble when they transport or carry thos…
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Every day, in courtrooms throughout Michigan (and even on Zoom screens during the COVID pandemic), cases are won or lost based on the effective or ineffective cross-examination of witnesses. What is cross-examination? It is the questioning of th…
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You’re leaving a holiday party after consuming a few beers, and suddenly you hear sirens behind you. The fear, panic and anxiety start to kick in; am I over the legal limit? Am I going to jail? Will I lose my driver’s license?
After spending t…
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The criminal justice “freight train” may have slowed down for the COVID-19 health pandemic, but it hasn’t stopped. Police are still pulling people over and arresting them; prosecutors are still charging people with misdemeanor and felony offe…
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Courts in Washtenaw County and throughout Southeastern Michigan had to reinvent themselves and figure out how to handle busy criminal dockets despite a health pandemic and various governmental shutdowns. Courts couldn’t simply cancel criminal dock…
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When a person is charged with a felony offense in Washtenaw County or throughout Michigan, he or she often receives a court notice for a “Probable Cause Conference,” or PCC. While some appearances are obvious just by their titles (i.e., Trial…
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For every person charged with a crime in Ann Arbor or throughout Michigan, the consequences of a conviction can be life-altering. Convictions can result in loss of employment or inability to find a job; financial ruin; family/custody/relationship…
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Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about eliminating “cash bonds/bail” in Michigan. Some progressive states, like California, have been working towards that stance in recent years. Essentially, this movement stands for the idea tha…
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Without a doubt, the COVID-19 health pandemic is a societal crisis gravely affecting millions of people all over Michigan. For most people, it has been a personal crisis as well: Loss of employment/income; inability to connect with family/friend…
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