James Henry McPherson, a 30-year-old Ypsilanti man, was charged with arson on Friday, August 16, in connection with allegedly setting a construction crane on fire. The crane was being used to help rebuild the Ford Boulevard Bridge, according to a news article at AnnArbor.com.

When firefighters arrived at the scene just after 9 p.m. on Wednesday, flames were jumping as high as 20 feet in the air according to Ypsilanti Township fire Lt. Keith Harr. Harr said that the damage to the crane which is believed to have originally been worth approximately $1 million, was significant.

McPherson was charged in the 14A-1 District Court, and arraigned on charges of arson, malicious destruction of property between $1,000 and $20,000, and third-degree arson of property more than $20,000. Sgt. Geoff Fox of the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office said it is believed that the suspect sneaked onto the job site, then set the crane on fire after somehow opening the fuel compartment. It is also believed McPherson slashed tires on some of the vehicles at the job site.

McPherson was apprehended as he walked near the job site a short time later, and according to Fox was “highly intoxicated.”

The criminal penalties for a violent or malicious crime such as arson are extremely harsh in the state of Michigan. If convicted of the charges against him, McPherson may face substantial fines and up to 10 years in prison. Individuals who commit arson which results in serious injury or death to another person or persons may face even more serious consequences.

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At his sentencing hearing on August 15, 21-year-old Willie Lee-Wilson Williams apparently had no reaction when sentenced to between 80 and 160 years in prison for the attempted murder of a female corrections officer in 2012, according to a news article at Mlive.com. Williams allegedly attempted to murder Jaclynn Rodriguez who worked for the Kent County Sheriff’s Department on September 14 of 2012.

Williams was sentenced to 30 to 60 years for four armed robberies, and 50 to 100 years for the attempted murder of Rodriguez. At his sentencing hearing, Kent County Judge Mark Trusock told Williams that he had “no moral compass,” and that he should not be allowed to live in society.

The defendant was incarcerated in the Kent County Jail awaiting trial on four charges of robbery when the alleged attack took place. According to news reports, jurors watched a video that revealed Williams knocking Rodriguez to the ground. Over the course of the assault, the defendant strangled the female corrections officer three times. Rodriguez said in court that she was “ready for death” if it could bring an end to the suffering she was enduring at Williams’ hands. The altercation eventually ended when other inmates at the facility came to Rodriguez’s rescue.

Williams will be 101 years old before he is eligible for parole; Judge Trusock stated he had never seen a criminal record as bad as the defendant’s in his 28-year career as a lawyer and judge. The 21-year-old defendant’s record includes nine life offenses of the total 19 felony convictions.

All Michigan criminal defense attorneys would agree that this young man appears to have a penchant for committing crimes. Still, there are countless individuals who are wrongly convicted every day for crimes they did not commit.

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On July 31, 68-year-old Matthew Andrew Carter was sentenced to 165 years in prison for the alleged sexual abuse of children living in a group home Carter ran for the poor. A news article at AnnArbor.com states that Carter traveled from Florida to Haiti frequently to abuse the children. He was convicted in February this year on one count of attempted child sex tourism, and five counts of traveling from the United States for the purpose of engaging in sex with minors.

Carter is a former Brighton, Michigan resident who now lives in Florida. He ran the Morning Star Center, a group home where residents could have access to shelter, clothes, food, and education. Residents of the center which was first located in Croix-des-Bouquets in Haiti and then Port-au-Prince, testified during Carter’s trial that as children, they were forced into sexual acts with the defendant in order to get clothes, shelter, school tuition, and other necessities.

Carter testified that over the past decade police had investigated numerous complaints regarding sexual misconduct at the Morning Star Center, but that he was never charged with a criminal offense by Haitian authorities. At trial, dozens of alleged victims testified against Carter, who disputes their credibility. According to U.S. authorities, Carter abused some 52 victims between 1995 and 2011, most of them males.

On Monday August 5, Carter filed an appeal of his prison sentence to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In his appeal, Carter questioned the lack of physical evidence as well as the lack of credibility in alleged victims who testified at trial.

As all Michigan criminal appeals lawyers are aware, a conviction or sentence for a criminal offense is not set in stone. Errors are made in the criminal justice process, as it is a human process; no one (police, prosecutors, judges, jurors) is beyond making mistakes. There are many people in prison today who are innocent, and many who have been unfairly sentenced for the crime they have been accused of.

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Michigan law enforcement officials are preparing for the Labor Day holiday period by sending the message “Buckle Up and Drive Sober” to motorists in an effort to crack down on drunk drivers through the holiday.

Local and state law enforcement agencies will coordinate with the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning on the campaign, which will begin tomorrow, August 16 and run through Labor Day, Monday, September 2. Funding was administered to Saginaw and Genesee counties among 24 others; a total of 155 agencies received funding to assist with the crack down on seat belt violators.

Michigan law enforcement officials want motorists to know that the penalties for a first-time drunk driving offense are serious, and to take care over the holiday weekend. Penalties for a first-offense include up to 93 days in jail, a $500 fine, and driver’s license suspension of up to 180 days, along with other possible penalties. It is illegal for motorists age 21 and older to operate a motor vehicle with a BAC (blood alcohol content) of 0.08 or higher. Additionally, motorists may be arrested if law enforcement suspects and individual is impaired regardless of the BAC level.

Authorities also want to stress the importance of buckling up, and placing young children in a booster or car seat. Fines for a seat belt violation are $65.

Michigan driver’s license reinstatement lawyers know the difficulties individuals face when their license is suspended. While the other penalties related to a DUI offense are serious, not having the privilege to drive can severely impact your ability to live a normal life. It is easy to take this privilege for granted; when you can no longer drive to work, school, to run errands, or attend doctor appointments, you realize just how essential the privilege truly is.

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On Sunday August 11, Bay City police were called to the home of David R. Mayse on Marsac Street. Mayse had been watching television when he heard noises coming from upstairs where the building’s owner, Steven L. Rufershafer, grows marijuana for medical use. Rufershafer is a licensed medical marijuana caregiver; he was standing in the backyard at the home when police arrived on the scene.

After Mayse called Rufershafer to tell him there was someone in the home, Rufershafer went to the house and walked upstairs to investigate. He was carrying a gun according to a news article at Mlive.com, and concluded that someone was inside one of the rooms when he attempted to push on the door and it pushed back. Rufershafer then threatened the trespassers that he had a gun, and that if they tried anything he would shoot seven holes in the door. He then went outside into the backyard to look at a window that accessed the room, one that had contained an air conditioner but that was now open.

When police arrived on the scene, they found two 17-year-old teens, Dalton P. Harris and Ryan L. McGeshick. The two were taken into custody, along with a bag which contained marijuana according to court records.

The two teens were walking in the area earlier in the day according to a story Harris told police, when they smelled marijuana coming from the residence. The two then decided that come nightfall, they would break in and steal some of the marijuana crop. Harris alleges that McGeshick began cutting stems of the marijuana plants using a pair of shears.

On Monday August 12, Harris and McGeshick were arraigned by Bay County District Magistrate Janice E. Doner. The two were charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree home invasion, first-degree home invasion, delivery or manufacture of marijuana, and larceny in a building. As of August 14, the two teens remained in the Bay County Jail on a $25,000 cash-surety bond each.

While charges of home invasion are extremely serious and may leave the two men facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted, Michigan drug possession lawyers understand the seriousness of drug-related offenses as well. If convicted, these young boys may face up to four years in prison for delivery or manufacture of marijuana.

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On Monday August 12, a 17-year-old Lawrence man was arrested following a traffic stop on M-43 in Almena Township. Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office deputies pulled a vehicle over after observing the vehicle weaving within the lane and running onto the shoulder of the road.

Upon pulling the vehicle over, deputies noticed the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, according to a news article at Mlive.com. After interviewing occupants of the vehicle, deputies learned that the driver and some other occupants of the vehicle had been smoking marijuana prior to being pulled over.

Deputies searched the vehicle and located a marijuana pipe along with a small amount of marijuana; the driver was arrested for driving on a suspended license, marijuana possession, and OUID (operating under the influence of drugs).

Upon being searched by deputies, the driver was found to have a pair of brass knuckles with spikes in one of his shoes. He was placed in the Van Buren County Jail on the above offenses along with CCW (carrying a concealed weapon).

Michigan drug possession attorneys understand the serious criminal penalties individuals who are convicted may face. Someone doing something as seemingly minor as smoking marijuana may be fined $100 and sentenced to 90 days in jail. Penalties for possession of marijuana are more serious, and include fines of up to $2,000 and up to one year in jail. When cultivating or distributing is involved, the penalties are even harsher and may include prison time of as long as 15 years, and fines of up to $10 million dollars.

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On August 7, two young men from Detroit were arrested after it was suspected they were involved in ramming their truck into a gun shop in Southfield, then stealing guns and various ammunition. The two suspects, 17-year-old Tobais A. Nance, and 20-year-old Arthuro L. Tate are now in custody for allegedly robbing Action Impact firearms and gun range.

Both suspects are now charged with firearm larceny, malicious destruction of a building over $20,000, breaking and entering into a building, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and unlawfully driving away a motor vehicle according to a news article at Mlive.com. The incident took place on June 5; it is believed the suspects stole a cargo truck, which they used to crash into the gun shop and range located at 25992 8 Mile to gain entrance into the shop. The two men allegedly stole various ammunition and 20 handguns.

The owner of the gun shop estimated the damage to his property to be more than $200,000.

Following their August 9 arraignment, bond for the suspects’ release was set at $100,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 19.

Southfield Police Chief Eric Hawkins said that the participation of the Detroit Police Department, state police and ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives) was a great example of how communities can be made safer through collaboration.

Michigan criminal defense lawyers know there are numerous laws surrounding charges of breaking and entering, which mean penalties vary widely from case to case. According to Section 750.110 of the Michigan Penal Code, a person who breaks and enters a building with the intention of stealing may face up to 10 years in prison. Combined with the other charges, it is likely these two young men face extremely serious consequences if convicted.

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50-year-old John William Wilson, a man who had just been released from prison, is reportedly headed back after being convicted of running a counterfeiting operation out of a South Haven hotel room. According to a news article at Mlive.com, Wilson used the bogus bills making purchases at local businesses.

Wilson was arrested after Wilson allegedly attempted to purchase a used car he found on Craigslist using counterfeit money. The owner of the car recognized that the money Wilson was attempting to use to purchase the car was fake; Wilson gave the man $800 in fake bills, according to the article. The owner of the vehicle alerted police, who located Wilson and arrested him outside of the Secretary of State’s office in Paw Paw.

In a letter Wilson wrote to U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney, he claimed he had suffered a “horrifying addiction to drugs and alcohol.” Wilson went on to say that he had been addicted to the substances for decades. Sean Tilton, Wilson’s attorney, added that his client wants to address his problems, and that he began using drugs as a teen growing up in foster homes.

Wilson had previously served time in prison for counterfeiting, and targeted local businesses due to the fact that he did not have a car. To avoid drawing unwanted attention to the fake bills, Wilson kept purchases under $100. He also allegedly came up with a scheme while in prison to purchase merchandise with counterfeit bills, then return the goods in exchange for authentic bills.

Judge Maloney sentenced Wilson on Wednesday, August 7 to four years and three months in federal prison. Upon completion of his prison term, he will be placed on supervised release for three years.

Michigan federal criminal attorneys know that while all criminal offenses are punished harshly, those at the federal level incur more serious penalties.

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In November of 2010, Ed Foster was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the 1998 death of Deborah Boothby in Covert Township. Boothby was beaten before being run over by two cars and left on the side of the highway to die, according to a news article at Mlive.com. Foster has maintained his innocence, claiming that others beat and killed the victim.

The victim was allegedly involved in an altercation with Foster and three other individuals before being beaten in a Covert nightclub parking lot, according to court testimony. Boothby was then beat again after being taken to a nearby park; she was then returned to the nightclub and allegedly run over by two vehicles in order to make her death appear to be an accident.

Foster appealed his convicted to the Michigan Court of Appeals, arguing that his lawyer was ineffective, and that the court violated his Sixth Amendment right to a public trial. Jurors also saw Foster in leg restraints and handcuffs, a fact that he claimed violated his due process rights. He also claims that jurors heard what he referred to as “false and perjured testimony” from a witness.

Following his sentencing in November of 2010, Foster said that “The verdict of guilt is not a reflection of what happened.” He went on to say that his conviction was not justice, and that he did not and could not kill the woman. Foster, who at the time lived in Conyers, Georgia, claimed at trial that the other individuals who were with him killed Boothby, but that he had no part in it although he did nothing to stop it.

On Friday August 9, Court of Appeals judges Deborah A. Servitto, Henry William Saad, and William B. Murphy issued a 15-page opinion upholding Foster’s conviction.

Michigan criminal appeals lawyers know that appealing a conviction or sentence is a complex process, and that obtaining the desired outcome requires a competent and experienced attorney who is thoroughly familiar with the appeals process.

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On Friday August 9, Michigan State Police were involved in a high-speed chase near Cadillac through Wexford County after attempting to pull over a vehicle for speeding on U.S. 131. The incident took place at approximately 7:20 p.m. according to a news article at Mlive.com.

When troopers attempted to pull over the driver of the speeding vehicle, he fled east on M-115 after exiting the freeway. Police allege the man was driving in excess of 100 mph. Eventually the speeding motorist struck a patrol car that was in pursuit of him, which resulted in his vehicle being pushed into a ditch. The suspect then spun the car around before fleeing west on M-115. Police then executed a PIT maneuver, which is a tactical ramming technique in an effort to stop the speeding vehicle.

Upon stopping the vehicle, troopers discovered the suspect was driving with a suspended license and was in possession of cocaine and heroin. He was arrested and charged with driving on a suspended license, fleeing and eluding police resulting in a collision, and possession with intent to deliver cocaine and heroin. Following his arrest the suspect was lodged in the Wexford County Jail.

Michigan drug possession attorneys know the serious criminal penalties individuals face when charged with possession with intent to deliver cocaine, heroin, or other illegal drugs or narcotics. Depending on which schedule a drug is classified as, penalties for a conviction can be extremely severe, including fines of between $25,000 and $1,000,000 and/or a prison sentence of 20 years to life for Schedule I or Schedule II drugs. Even less serious offenses leave those convicted facing potential jail time, fines, driver’s license sanctions, and more. Any drug offense can negatively affect your career, reputation, and other areas of your life.

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