Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog

In the field of criminal defense, the witness list is a standard requirement. The list will be required 30 days before trial or based upon the scheduling order provided by the circuit court judge. While many lawyers feel the need to make an extensive witness list, this may not always be in the best interest of the client. Sometimes less is more. Today, we will discuss why there are times when placing no witnesses on the list may be a wise decision for the criminal defense lawyer.

Scott Grabel is the founder of Grabel and Associates and has created a criminal defense team that is known as the top in the state of Michigan. When asked about the witness list, Grabel stated, “This is not a one size fits all proposition. The lack of a witness list can be as helpful as a long one may serve. It is not the defense counsel’s burden to prove the case, and there are times when solely playing defense is the best strategy for the client.”

William Amadeo is a partner at McManus and Amadeo in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and a Senior Associate for Grabel and Associates. Known as a top trial lawyer, Amadeo stated, “When you are doing voir dire, you have to teach the jury who has the burden and connect with them. If you can review the questionnaire on the jury pool, you can learn a lot about them and whether they will understand the lack of a witness or hold it against your client. This process differs significantly from county to county. Sometimes it makes sense to limit the time of trial; sometimes the best move is to make it as long as possible. There is no rulebook for trial strategy in our state.

Sometimes in criminal law, a case appears unwinnable. For example, if your client was caught with child pornography and the prosecution can authenticate the illegal material. While that is not a case that you would take to trial, there are ways to provide a layer of protection for your client. One such way is to have the client examined with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2).

The MMPI-2 can be utilized to detect personality disorders. If a disorder is detected that can provide support that the defense attorney can place into the sentencing memorandum to help provide insight as to why the defendant has been charged with the crime.

Scott Grabel of Grabel and Associates provided insight into the mmPI-2 when he stated, “This is a test that most people do not have an extensive knowledge of. Generally, the test will be given by a Ph.D. in clinical psychology to determine a disorder. While this does not mean that the defendant is incompetent, it does provide an added element of a defense which is essential at sentencing.”

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled back in 2007 in the case of People v. Labelle that passengers riding in a vehicle did not have the ability or standing to challenge a police search of their personal property within that vehicle. Since 2007, this has been the rule that Michigan Courts have routinely followed. The Supreme Court back then ruled that a passenger in a vehicle did not have any expectation of privacy while riding in someone else’s vehicle. That has now all changed due to the case of People v. Mead. As of April of this past year, passengers riding in a vehicle may now challenge a search under the Fourth Amendment.

In the Mead case, the defendant Larry Mead was a passenger in the car of a woman he had met earlier that day. The vehicle was stopped by police due to an expired license plate. The police officer in this case noticed Mead sitting in the backseat holding onto a backpack sitting in his lap. The officer asked the driver to step out of the vehicle and asked her if he could search the vehicle. Once both Mead and the driver were outside the vehicle, the officer then searched the vehicle, including Mead’s backpack. Upon searching Mead’s backpack, the officer found about 10 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana (now legal), prescription pills and a digital scale.

Mead pushed his case to trial, and during the trial process his attorney objected to the search as being illegal and without consent. The trial court ruled against his attorney stating that Mead did not have any reasonable expectation of privacy for his backpack as a passenger of the car under the legal standard in Labelle. Mead was ultimately convicted at trial and sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. On appeal the Michigan Supreme Court overturned this decision and Labelle stating that, “a passenger’s personal property is not subsumed by the vehicle that carries it for Fourth Amendment purposes.” What this is basically saying is that you will retain your Fourth Amendment right against an illegal government search of your person or property even as a passenger in a vehicle. The court stated this pretty bluntly by saying that “a person can get in a car without leaving his Fourth Amendment rights at the curb.” In this case the Supreme Court stated that there was no reason for the officer to believe that the backpack in the backseat had any connection to the driver of the vehicle and noted that it was apparent that the backpack belonged to Mead who was sitting in the backseat as stated earlier.

Sports fans across the state of Michigan are excited that they can now gamble online and in Detroit casinos legally. With the new law in place, the old school “bookie” is facing extinction but make no mistake about it, they still exist. How the new legislation will affect the illegal gaming industry remains to be seen. To discuss this matter in detail, we spoke with several criminal defense lawyers that are at the top of their field in the state of Michigan.

Scott Grabel is the founder of Grabel and Associates and has created a criminal defense team that has become the best throughout the state of Michigan. When asked about the impact of this legislation, Grabel stated, “Much like the marijuana industry, prosecutions are on the rise. The illegal bookmaker will not go out of business and will have to find various ways to continue their operations. The problem for this individual is now they are competing with the state, and the prosecution will be based heavily upon economics, but to say they will not exist is not true.”

William Amadeo is a partner at McManus and Amadeo in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and a Senior Associate with Grabel and Associates. Known as one of the hardest working attorneys in the state of Michigan, Amadeo added commentary when he said, “Illegal gambling is always going to occur, and we see in more frequently in poorer neighborhoods. A bookie that is taking bets on games or running numbers will always be in existence, but prosecutors, especially in Wayne County, will be on the lookout for them. The bookmaker is now in competition with Detroit casinos, and that is going to provide the incentive to prosecute in Detroit.”

In criminal law, one of the most important aspects of criminal defense is the witness list. The witnesses that testify at trial can be beneficial if the jury connects with their personality. To discuss this in greater detail, we spoke to several of the top criminal defense lawyers in the state of Michigan.

Scott Grabel is the founder of Grabel and Associates, which is a firm that is known as the top criminal defense team in our state. When asked about the witness list, Grabel said, “If you don’t interview the witnesses, you set your client up for failure. Having a connection with the witnesses to the best of your ability can make the difference between a one-word verdict or a two-word verdict. Far too often, a lack of preparation in studying the witnesses can be fatal to your case. We always do our due diligence as the witness list is essential to success.”

William Amadeo is a partner at McManus and Amadeo in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and a Senior Associate for Grabel and Associates. Amadeo had become known as the top criminal defense lawyer in Washtenaw County and provided commentary when he said, “I often create a large witness list and then shrink it down. Who you place on the witness list can become problematic because the prosecution can also place them on the witness stand. The witness list is about strategy, and that’s something that is not taught in law school.”

As Michigan’s capital city, and it’s fifth-largest city by population, Lansing is one of the state’s most notable cities. But if you’re facing criminal charges in Lansing, especially if those charges are your first exposure to our state’s criminal justice system, then the city and it’s courts can be confusing and leave you feeling overwhelmed at an already-difficult time of your life. If this sounds like you, don’t worry – the attorneys of Grabel & Associates are here to help. In this article we will discuss the functions of Lansing’s criminal courthouses and inform you as to their locations and roles within Michigan’s larger court system. We will explain in which courthouse you will need to appear based upon your specific charges. We will discuss how having an experienced Lansing criminal defense attorney at your side can improve both your overall experience as well as your chances for an acquittal, a reduction in charges, or an otherwise preferable outcome to your case. Finally, we will tell you why we at Grabel & Associates are the best choice for legal representation in your criminal case in Lansing or anywhere you may need us in the state of Michigan.

Why is my Case being Handled in Lansing, as Opposed to Other Cities in Michigan?

Lansing is located within Ingham County, in an area of the state known as Mid-Michigan. In order for criminal charges to be filed against you in Michigan, the case against the defendant must be brought by a particular county. If you live or work in Ingham County, or if the primary facts underlying your case took place here, then your case will likely be in Ingham County. However, not all criminal cases brought in Ingham County are held in Lansing. This is because while Ingham County includes a number of cities which feature courthouses, the courthouses in Lansing are only used for those cases being tried within a particular part of Ingham County.