Articles Posted in Youth Education

In the state of Michigan, when a minor is caught drinking and driving, the laws evolve into a more severe form of punishment.  In our state, unlike many others, those that decide to drink and drive under the age of 21, can face severe penalties even if they are sober at the time of the event.

Scott Grabel of Grabel and Associates is a foremost leader in the field of OUIL litigation in the state of Michigan.  Grabel reflected on a case he handled last year and spoke of how the laws for minors can have major consequences.  Grabel stated, “A client of ours threw a surprise party for his daughter’s high school graduation.  The daughter had two glasses of Champagne at her party, then drove to her house and was stopped for making an illegal turn.  The officer asked her if she had been drinking and nervously she said that she had.  She took a breathalyzer and blew a .022.  While the law in Michigan is clear that one is not legally intoxicated until they reach a .08, for minors the scale is lowered to a .02.  The young girl almost lost her scholarship and her life had been altered.  We proved that the breathalyzer had an issue with its calibration and had the case dismissed, but it is amazing how two glasses of Champagne could have destroyed this young woman’s life.” Continue reading

We’ve all long been aware that during the warmer summer months, crime rates seem to soar.  Is it just our imaginations, or do violent and property crimes really escalate during summer?  Unfortunately, increased crime as the temperatures heat up is a fact.  According to a Department of Justice report, burglaries are 10.5% more common during the summer than in winter months.

Law enforcement professionals strongly believe that as temperatures rise, so do the number of violent crimes.  In fact, according to a June 2015 report at the Chicago Tribune, murders were already up by 20% in New York over the same period in 2014, and shootings up 10% over that same time.
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School violence and crime are problems in many cities across the U.S., and while it’s believed violence is decreasing, many schools fail to report incidents.  This means the data on school crime is somewhat unreliable, and unfortunately incidents involving violence are often downplayed.  In Michigan, violence and crime in schools seems especially problematic, particularly in high-crime areas such as Detroit, Benton Harbor, and Flint.

While violence and crime occur in middle schools and high schools, colleges and universities have become top stories in the news recently as it seems sexual assaults become more common (or at least more are being reported).  In 2015, MSU (Michigan State University) was ranked the most dangerous campus in the country by crimewatchdaily.com, taking data from 2013.  MSU ranked fourth in per capita crime rates in the country.

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We all know that children often become what they’re exposed to, whether they live in high-crime areas, are the victims of abuse and neglect, or exposed to a substantial amount of crime/violence through television, video games, etc.  Thankfully, fighting crime through education, school programs, and providing support for troubled kids can help us build a future society of young people who instead of turning to crime can live productive, successful lives and hopefully avoid becoming a defendant in the criminal justice system.

Education is Our Future

Children today are tomorrow’s adults; what we must do is instill in kids that crime and violence are to be avoided.  This can begin at a very young age, and impact how our world will look 10 or 20 years from now in terms of crime rates.  An organization called Fight Crime: Invest in Kids supports anti-crime efforts and takes a close look at research regarding what we can all do to help ensure today’s kids don’t become tomorrow’s criminals.  The organization provides information that helps parents, police, and the general public understand what steps can be taken to improve kids’ lives and educate them about crime.

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