If you are charged with a felony in one of Michigan’s State courts, then you have a right to a preliminary examination. This hearing will take place after your probable cause conference. This probable cause conference must take place within 14 days of the arraignment. A preliminary examination hearing is…
In the United States, the discovery process in the criminal justice system is governed by federal and state laws and rules of criminal procedure. For example, Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 16 sets out the requirements for discovery in federal criminal cases. State criminal procedure rules may vary depending on…
It can be difficult to know if you are under a federal investigation. However, if you are aware, there are several clues that you are under investigation by the Federal Government. One of them is the receipt of a target letter. A target letter is a formal notification sent by…
If you have reason to believe that you are under investigation for a crime in Michigan, it is in your best interest to seek the advice and representation of an experienced criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. You may feel tempted to handle the matter on your own or…
Michigan sex laws. To not run afoul of the statutory rape Michigan law, it is critical to review the Michigan “consent” laws. Every state enacts its own rape laws relating to the age at which a female can acquiesce to having sexual relations. Making the mistake of engaging in sexual…
Jury nullification occurs when a Michigan jury returns a verdict that is contrary to the law given them by the Judge. In a criminal case, jury nullification occurs when the jury, while believing the accused to be guilty, nevertheless return a verdict of not guilty. Usually this happens when the…
Your Michigan defense lawyer may ask you to obtain a character letter for court purposes. This article explains how to format and write such a letter. You can share a link to this article with those you ask to write such letters. While there are many suggestions here, what’s missing…
Michigan’s criminal charges involving child pornography are rigorously enforced and harshly punished. For this reason, avoiding jail time on a child pornography (or, Child Sexually Abusive Material (CSAM), in Michigan) case can be extremely difficult. This is true whether the case involves possession, distribution or production of material that includes…
Is marijuana legal in Michigan? Marijuana weed possession laws in different states can be confusing. The drug possession laws in the State of Michigan are no different. Federal law criminalizes possession of small amount of marijuana, yet a growing number of states only have enacted civil penalties or no penalties…
Most police agencies in Michigan use dash cams to record citizen interactions. This means that if you’ve been arrested for DUI or Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) in Michigan, there is an excellent chance that a dash-cam video exists. Every drunk driving arrest is different, and not every video recording is…