Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
Original Case Details
The Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office is facing scrutiny for their policy not requiring assistant prosecutors to watch body camera footage before authorizing criminal charges against people. This issue has come into focus after the Prosecutor’s Office dismissed two counts of resisting arrest that it charged without watching the body camera footage from the East Lansing Police Department of the incident. Prosecutors realized that they made this mistake when the Defendant, Anthony Loggins had filed an excessive force complaint against the arresting officers. This resulted in Loggins being criminally charged with two counts of resisting arrest at the same time he had filed his complaint with the East Lansing Police Department. This caused prosecutors to actually watch the footage of the incident, leading to the dismissal of the charges as well as a promised change in practices and policies by the Ingham County Prosecutor’s office in how they authorize criminal charges in the first place. It is important to note that Loggins was initially pulled over in East Lansing for his failure to use a turn signal and was eventually arrested for driving while license suspended. Before he was arrested, he was ripped out of his vehicle and slammed on the ground. Incredibly, the police officer involved, Andrew Stephenson, knelt on Loggins neck after he was handcuffed. Luckily for everybody involved, Loggins didn’t die from this incident.
Potential Policies Discussed
Before the Loggins case, the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office stated policy was to look at charges and cases on a case-by-case basis. It has now been shown that it is of utmost importance to view all the evidence in a case before a warrant and charges are authorized. The Prosecutor’s Office does not have all of the specifics of a new policy as of yet, but they are being worked on. Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon recognized the need to update policy within her office to modernize with the present day. She stated, “while for decades, long before cell phones, dash cams, or body cams existed, cases were reviewed solely on the evidence presented in the police report, this case and others highlight the need for a heightened level of scrutiny in these cases and we will be developing and implementing such a policy.”
What’s Next?
The eye-opening fallout from the George Floyd case has shaken police and prosecutors’ offices across the country. Police misconduct is so longer accepted as the relentless protests across the country and across the world have sparked a movement for transparency, and accountability of police. Police departments across the country have historically been given an inordinate amount of funding and unchecked power that is now being scrutinized strongly. Calls to defund and dismantle the police have been rallying cries by many protestors who are looking to curb the unbelievable power of police officers and departments. The disparity in police funding compared to other public services has been well documented by countless news sources. The city of Detroit alone has a nearly $300 million annual police budget, whereas other general services like health, economic development, recreation, and housing combined barely add up to $80 million. The city of Los Angeles has already stated that $150 million of their existing police budget will be allocated to other public resources for their city.
Any Further Questions?
If you or a loved one has been the victim of police brutality, then it is important to speak to an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately. At Grabel & Associates, our attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience in successfully defending criminal cases all over the state of Michigan. This experience extends not only to adult cases, but also to juvenile charges. We are not a general practice firm. We are a team of criminal defense attorneys; it’s all we do. We offer a FREE consultation to anyone with questions relating to a possible or existing criminal charge against them or a loved one. Feel free to contact us on our 24/7 defense line at 1-800-342-7896. You can also contact us online or come visit us at one of our three statewide locations. We can also come to you.