As we are in the summer months and lots of activity is happening around the city, this note is to remind everyone: get home safely. I often have conversations with persons I represent in traffic and criminal cases about interactions with police. The conversations goes something like this: your one and only objective is to GET HOME SAFELY. You can contest the legality of the stop,  the rudeness of the officer, or any other issue that may arise - later! Your one and only objective is to get home safely in the face of a person who has the ability to take your freedom and your life! My suggestion is to be polite no matter how rude or wrong the officer may be because your one goal is to get home safely. Keep your hands visible and respond appropriately to questions with “Yes Mam/Sir” and “No Mam/Sir” and simply get home safely.    I have been personally stopped for a pre textual reason and experienced by blood pressure rise, my voice get high and screechy, and the indignati ...

Read the rest of entry »

The Salvation Army and Wayne County will provide FREE child support assistance to persons present on October 11, 2015 1:00pm to 4:00pm at the Detroit Public Library located at 5201 Woodward Ave., Detroit, Michigan. Please share this information widely!  Be sure to take with you any paperwork you have regarding your case, so that you can get the most out of being there. See attached flyer:  DPL Save the Date Oct 2015.pdf

Are you a parent that worries your child is turning in the wrong direction? Hanging out with kids you do not prefer? Are you a young person that has made poor decisions for your life? Have you finally decided to leave for college and moving on from past poor decisions? I have good news for all of you!

The Holmes Youthful Training Act (HYTA) has expanded!! What is the Holmes Youthful Training Act? It is a law that gives youthful offenders a second chance. A law that allows a young person that has committed an offense after the age of 17 years old and before the age of 21, the opportunity to have their single conviction cleared from public record if they plead guilty and successfully meet certain conditions of a judge’s sentence. Effective August 18, 2015, the law has expanded to allow youthful offenders between the ages of 17 and now 24 years old to have this opportunity. The process for a youthful offender between the ages of 21 and 24 will require the prosecutor’s consent. Other conditions may have to be met for any HYTA youthful trainee (e.g., maintain employment, electronic tether monitoring, etc.). The law also involves certain exceptions for which the opportunity is not available (e.g., felonies punishable by life in prison, major controlled substance offenses, certain sex offenses, traffic offenses, etc. ).

It is often rare that new possibilities arise for persons charged with crimes to have expansion of second chance opportunities. This is such a new possibility! If you or someone you know finds themselves or their family member dealing with a first time youthful offender ask about the Holmes Youthful Training Act and find out if it applies to you. Perhaps this can be your or your family member’s wake up call to turn their life in a new direction. 

Check out the full text of the law: Holmes Youthful Training Act - Effective 8/15/2015.