Ingham County: Criminal Sexual Conduct (CSC) Charges on the Rise

One of the strictest jurisdictions to be charged with a CSC is Ingham County. With the county seat in Mason, Michigan, Ingham County has always been known for academics at Michigan State University, Lansing Community College and Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School are all located within 20 minutes of each other. While education had always been the hallmark of Ingham County, crimes of a sexual nature have risen to new heights in the last 5 years. With a new abundance of prosecutions, the role of the criminal defense attorney has taken on a whole outlook. The reality is that without competent counsel, the criminal defendant is facing a monumental task. To discuss this topic, we sat down with 3 of the top criminal defense lawyers in Ingham County to gain perspective.

Scott Grabel is the founder of Grabel and Associates in Lansing, Michigan. Grabel has built a firm that has gained a reputation as the top criminal defense team in the state of Michigan. When asked about the rise of CSC charges in Ingham County, Grabel said, “It has become a county where many judges are not allowing Cobbs or Killebrew Agreements, and when that happens the Probation Officer plays a vital role in plea deals. With negotiations becoming more difficult, we find that in Ingham County trying a case is becoming the optimal move for the criminal defendant. To protect our clients, we have built a trial team that is ready to fight our clients from the onset of the charge and have a trial prep in mind from day one.”

Peter Samouris owns and operates Samouris Law and is known as one of the top criminal litigators in the state of Michigan. Samouris’s experience in trying capital cases in Ingham and surrounding counties have earned him the respect of his peers. Samouris provided commentary when he said, “Probably the most difficult aspect of CSC cases-and this is especially true when the accuser is a child-is walking the fine line between discrediting the accuser, without coming across as a bully.”

William Amadeo is a partner at McManus and Amadeo in Ann Arbor, Michigan and a Senior Associate for Grabel and Associates. Amadeo has been successful litigating capital cases in Ingham County and across the state of Michigan. Amadeo was quoted as saying, “Ingham County is a little different than surrounding communities. Whenever I go to Ingham, I generally show up with an abundance of documentation to start pushing my client’s character from day one. Part of the technique is to outwork the prosecutor in Ingham. The fatter the file, the better. It’s truly a county where you have to overturn every aspect of a case and bring you’re A-Game. If you do not your client will suffer the consequences.”

While the records of Grabel, Samouris, and Amadeo have gained them recognition throughout the state, the criminal defendant has started to face dire consequences. The wrong lawyer in Ingham equates to disastrous consequences for those charged with a CSC. Sadly, in Ingham County, we are now in a situation where guilt and innocence have become secondary to the talent of defense counsel.

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