Mother begs Judge, “Please keep my son in jail!”
You have only to watch any one of the many gangster and mafia shows on TV in the last few years to realize just how pervasive this myth has become in your culture. Gangsters are cool. Breaking the law makes you “cool”, and desirable. This is certainly what Angela Michels thinks her son believes. And it’s why she was recently in the Bay County District Court, begging the Judge to keep her son in jail.
According to police, the incident that brought this distraught mother to court took place on March 25th in Kawkawlin Township. Angela Michels’ son 18-year-old Alex D. Michels, along with his cousin, 17-year-old Gregory S. Smith, and their friend 18-year-old Devin L. Summers broke into a house.
A neighbor saw the break-in and contacted police. Officers went to Michels’ home where they confronted him and his two partners-in-crime about the incident. At first the boys denied any knowledge, but Michels and Smith finally owned up and told officers what they had done.
According to their testimony, two of the three young men had broken into a home and stole two small safes. They threw the safes out the window to Summers who was waiting outside. Then they all fled the premises. Michels even showed the safes to the police, where he had hidden them under his mattress.
In addressing Judge Dawn A. Klida at her son’s arraignment, Angela Michels explained her hopes for her son. She said that while the other two boys had good heads on their shoulders, her son was the ringleader and should be held responsible. She begged the judge to keep her son in jail so that he would learn that the “gangster” lifestyle is not glamorous.
She claimed that Alex is a troubled child who was homeschooled and has apparently had some very disappointing mental health treatments in his past. In addition, she claims that he has a child-like mentality, which is understood to imply that he is psychologically or emotionally underdeveloped.
Michels, Summers, and Smith were all arraigned on single counts of second-degree home invasion and larceny in a building. Under Michigan law, second-degree home invasion is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Larceny in a building, while also a felony, is only punishable by 4 years in prison.
Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, the Sopranos and even Ray Donovan are all great shows. Lots of excitement, plot twists, and interesting character developments. But in the end, that is all they are – shows.
They are not accounts of real life, and not true indicators of what a life of crime will really be like. So enjoy your TV shows – we all do! But remember that in real life, breaking the law is not glamorous, and going to prison doesn’t make you cool.