Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog

May 18, 2015

Cape Cod School Bus Driver Allegedly Drives Drunk with Students on Board, Charged with OUI

On Friday, May 15, a 62-year-old man was charged with OUI after allegedly driving a Cape Cod school bus with students on board while intoxicated, according to several news reports. Everett Redmond Jr. of Brewster, driver of the bus, was hired by an outside company according to the school superintendent, who said Redmond would “never driver students from his school again.”

According to the Boston Herald, a high school student who was on board the bus called her mother, claiming that Redmond was driving unsafely. She told her mother that she was getting off the bus at the next stop due to the man’s driving. The student’s mother then alerted police, who located the bus on Route 6 westbound in a Burger King parking lot. At that time, a handful of students were still on board the bus.

Redmond was given a field sobriety test by police which he apparently failed, as he was handcuffed and arrested while students inside the bus looked on. Redmond was charged with OUI, or operating under the influence. He was also charged with child endangerment. One parent made the comment “I don’t understand how they have this person driving a bus drunk in the middle of the afternoon.”

May 15, 2015

Man Suspected of Robbing Byron Township Citgo Apprehended by Police Following Brief Chase

by Scott Grabel

On Wednesday, May 13, an armed robber stole cash from a Byron Township Citgo station located on 84th St. SW, according to a recent news article at Mlive.com. The robbery occurred at approximately 3:30 in the afternoon; police identified the suspect on Thursday, who was caught on a surveillance camera inside the Citgo.

The suspect, whose name was not released, was allegedly armed with a knife when he robbed the gas station. On Thursday evening, police spotted the man driving a white Dodge pickup in Grand Rapids just after 6:30 in the area of Broadway Avenue north of Leonard Street NW. The man spotted the patrol car and drove off, which resulted in a short vehicle chase before the man exited his pickup and fled on foot. According to deputies, the man jumped down a steep embankment and suffered injuries after landing on a tree. He was found a short time later hiding next to an abandoned building, and was arrested before being transported to a local hospital via AMR Ambulance.

The news report indicated the suspect is being guarded by Michigan Department of Corrections officers, and is held on a parole violation.

May 14, 2015

23-year-old Busted in Miami Beach at DUI Checkpoint, Driver’s License Suspended 26 Times

by Scott Grabel

Michigan driver’s license reinstatement attorneys realize that nearly anyone can have his/her driver’s license suspended once or twice – but 26 times, when an individual is only 23 years old? This is exactly what seems to be the case with a South Florida man, who authorities discovered had his license suspended 26 times while running multi-agency DUI checkpoints in Miami Beach on Friday evening, May 8.

According to news reports Local10.com and Random Pixels, 23-year-old Kiarri Tommy Lee Cook was discovered to have had his license suspended more times than he is old in years after officers ran a records check on him at a DUI checkpoint. Officers said Cook is what is referred to as a habitual traffic offender, or H.T.O. In Florida, it is considered a felony to continue to drive knowing that your license has been suspended, particularly when someone repeats this behavior multiple times. Police also found marijuana in Cook’s glove compartment.

Cook claimed when interviewed by Local 10 News reporter John Turchin that he did not know his driver’s license was suspended. State records also indicate his license had been revoked for four years.

May 12, 2015

Owners of Keokee, VA Grocery Store Arrested on Multiple Drug Charges

by Scott Grabel

On Thursday, May 7, two owners of a small local grocery store in Keokee, Kelly’s Grocery, were arrested after a lengthy investigation revealed 49-year-old Laura Kelly and 44-year-old William Kelly were selling drugs out of the store.

According to a news report at the Times News, the couple were arrested on multiple drug-related charges. Officers with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant on the grocery store on Thursday, and found a stolen gun among other weapons, narcotics, and what they referred to as a “significant” amount of cash, along with a large number of tools. The article did not specify what was meant by “tools.”

Authorities were able to secure a search warrant after a year-long investigation that involved surveillance, gathering informants, and drug transactions. Gary Parsons, Lee County Sheriff, said that it was difficult to get informants in the case due to the fact that Keokee is a small community where everyone knows everyone else.

May 11, 2015

Florida Woman Arrested for DUI Three Times Within One Week

by Scott Grabel

Recently, 31-year-old Jennifer Yi of Brandon, FL was arrested three times within a 6-day time period. According to a news report at WFLA.com, Yi was arrested on April 30, May 1, and again on May 5.

Yi would not submit to a blood alcohol test during the first two arrests, however she did take the test after being pulled over on Tuesday May 5, the last time she was arrested. Records show that Yi was first stopped on Thursday, April 30 in the area of Brandon Blvd. W. Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputies arrested her and took her to jail, where she was released after posting $500 bond. The very next day (May 1), Yi was pulled over on Brandon Blvd. E. where deputies again arrested her after she refused to take a blood test, and took her to jail once more where she was released on a $500 bond.

The final arrest on May 5 resulted in Yi’s being arrested and booked into the county jail; this time she did take a blood alcohol test. Her bond was set at $100,000 for this third DUI arrest, although the results of the test were not revealed. Yi is reportedly employed by Coca Cola.

May 7, 2015

Former Pediatrician Found Guilty of Child Endangerment in Water boarding Case Appeals

by Scott Grabel

In July of 2012, Melvin Morse, a 61-year-old former pediatrician, was charged with endangerment and assault after the daughter of his girlfriend ran away, accusing Morse of water boarding and other abuse. He was found guilty of the charges against him in February 2014, and sentenced to three years in prison. Now Morse, who has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live, is appealing his conviction according to news reports at NBC News and U.S. News & World Report.

At the time of the alleged water boarding incident, Morse was 58 years old. In all, Morse was convicted of felony reckless endangerment and five misdemeanors. On Wednesday, May 6 it was announced that Morse would appeal his conviction on several grounds. One issue, according to Morse’s defense attorney Joseph Hurley, was the fact that a judge in the case allowed jurors to review videotapes of statements given by the alleged victim and her younger sister during deliberations – statements that were unsworn. Hurley claims that a prosecutor in the case encouraged jurors during her closing arguments to request permission from the judge to review the tapes if jurors felt it would help them in deliberations. However, the evidence challenging statements made by the girls in the videotapes the defense had in its possession was never made available to jurors.

Hurley also argued to the three-justice panel at the Delaware Supreme Court that the judge in the case erred when he allowed jurors to consider evidence of additional “bad acts” for which his client was not charged. Ultimately, Hurley felt that jurors were inflamed and Morse unfairly prejudiced because of the cumulative evidence.

May 5, 2015

Seth Gilliam of ‘The Walking Dead’ Arrested on DUI, Other Charges

by Scott Grabel

On Sunday morning, May 3, Seth Gilliam of ‘The Walking Dead’ hit AMC series was arrested in Peachtree City, GA when he was pulled over by police after driving 107 mph in a 55 mph zone, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Gilliam plays Rev. Gabriel Stokes, a morally conflicted reverend, on the television show. The show is filmed in Senoia, GA according to CNN.

Gilliam admitted to having drank three beers and a shot after being pulled over when the officer noticed an odor of alcohol on the actor and asked if he had been drinking. A police report also indicates that the officer found a marijuana joint in the vehicle after detecting the smell of marijuana.

The actor has had recurring roles on Teen Wolf and The Good Wife; he was charged with possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, DUI, reckless driving, and speeding. Gilliam was booked into the Fayette County Jail and later released. A breath test revealed Gilliam’s BAC (blood alcohol content) was .107, slightly higher than the legal limit of .08 percent.

May 4, 2015

Portland Police Respond to Reports of Gunshots, Arrest Three on Drug & Weapon Charges

by Scott Grabel

Early Saturday morning on May 2, Southeast Portland police responded to reports of gunshots heard in the area of East Burnside Street and Southeast 83rd Avenue. Upon arriving at the scene, one witness said that multiple gunshots were fired, and that someone shot from a dark-colored vehicle. Ultimately, three men were arrested on drug and weapon charges, although police found no property damage in the neighborhood, and there were no victims.

Those arrested include Dajuan Travonte Shakier, 23, who was charged with felon in possession of a firearm and possession of cocaine. Ismail Sharif Abdullahi, also 23, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of cocaine. Robert Jermaine Richardson Jr., 20, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of cocaine. Shakier was also charged with parole violation.

When police located the vehicle described by a witness, one of the men got out of the car and attempted to walk away, but was stopped by police. Officers reportedly noticed a shotgun in the floorboard of the back seat, and also located a handgun upon searching the vehicle. Thousands of dollars in cash was also seized from the three men.

May 1, 2015

Arson at Metro Detroit Golf Course Results in Nearly $1 Million in Damages, Believed to Be Caused by Two People

by Scott Grabel

On Friday morning April 22, a fire broke out at Myth Golf and Banquet Center in Oakland Township that ultimately resulted in nearly $1 million in damages, according to news reports. Police believe that two individuals are responsible for the arson fire, although no suspects have been named.

The fires are believe to have been set at around 4 in the morning. In all, a pole barn and 57 golf carts were destroyed by the blaze; investigators believe the arsonists set three separate fires, one to an area where more than 30 golf carts were parked, one to a single golf cart which was driven to a pond in the center of the course before being set on fire, and a large pole barn. The pole barn is said to have contained lawn maintenance equipments, about 25 golf carts, and numerous 55 gallon drums containing gasoline, fertilizer, oil, and other flammable materials.

According to Oakland Township Fire Chief Paul Strelchuk, there are no hydrants in the area, so crews used water from a nearby pond. Strelchuk also said that they had to put in an alarm for tankers, and that ultimately crews from seven fire departments came in to help fight the fires. These included firefighters from Addison and Bruce Townships, Washington Township, Rochester Hills, Oxford, Orion, and Rochester. HAZMAT was called in and worked to clean up flammable materials from the drums that had pooled in various areas of the pole barn, which was destroyed in the fire.

April 30, 2015

Abundance of Caution Sometimes Understandable Regarding Driver’s License Reinstatement

by Scott Grabel

In the state of Michigan, someone who has his/her driver’s license revoked for multiple DUIs or other reasons faces an uphill battle when it comes to getting the license reinstated. Why is it so difficult, and why, in most cases, does someone whose license has been revoked have to go through the complicated process of a DLAD (Driver’s License Appeal Division) hearing?

The fact is, most who have their license suspended or revoked for driving under the influence will do it again – in the opinion of state lawmakers, anyway. The government is cautious primarily because it does not want to put innocent people’s lives in danger. This is sometimes understandable, considering one recent incident in which a 61-year-old Battle Creek woman had just had her license reinstated and one day later crashed into an ambulance, resulting in the deaths of three individuals. Shirley Stokes, the woman who had her license reinstated the day prior to the accident, ran a red light while under the influence of alcohol. The accident resulted in the deaths of herself, her passenger, 54-year-old James Earl Stokes, and the patient inside the ambulance who was suffering from cardiac arrest.

While DUI or OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) result in serious implications such as possible jail time, fines, community service, and other punishment, driver’s license suspension or revocation is often the worst punishment of all. Not everyone who seeks to have his/her license reinstated is eligible, however those who are face an arduous task. DAAD hearing officers demand clear and convincing evidence that the petitioner is “rehabilitated,” and that he or she will not consume alcohol, or once again fall into the habit of drinking and possibly driving while under the influence. This requires an extensive effort and mountains of paperwork, including supporting exhibits such as letters of reference, a substance abuse evaluation, 10 panel drug screening, documents that support you have changed your lifestyle, and testimony from yourself and possibly other witnesses who can testify on your behalf.