Category Archives: Defenses to Crimes

  In 2014, our Michigan Legislature passed Senate Bill 0105 governing deoxyribonucleic acid, also known as DNA, collection in our state.  The Governor then signed the bill and it was made into Michigan law. This statute allowed police officers to collect the samples from people after they were arrested for a felony, even if they hadn’t […]

  Thanks for joining us again for the second installment on Michigan’s Mental Health Courts. In part one we broke down exactly what a Mental Health Court was, and the purpose it served in the criminal justice system. Moving on, we are going to take a look at how this particular treatment court works, and […]

  Just days ago we published an article on our drunk driving website about Michigan’s Veteran courts and what a wonderful difference they are making in the lives of retired soldiers in our state. While discussing that subject we were reminded that the Veteran Courts are only part of a system of Courts all over […]

  We live in an age of almost constant technological evolution. With every passing day, new software is developed. A new app is made available. A new technology hits the market. This constant changing and updating of technology has an enormous impact on criminal activity all over the world. This in turn has a direct […]

Appeals Court Says No On Fourth Amendment Rights Violation Both federal and local law enforcement agencies regularly use cell-site records as evidence in court cases. In essence, cell-site data is simply using cellphone records to trace the exact cell tower that was used to make or receive a call, which then helps to determine a caller’s […]

Michigan Court of Appeals Ruling  Maryanne Godboldo has had one of the roughest rides on the legal train here in Michigan, with charges being brought, overturned, brought again, dismissed, struck down and then upheld. We can only imagine the heartbreak and frustration that this poor mother has endured, for no crime other than trying to […]

Ingham County Judge Rules Statements Inadmissable An Ingham County District Court judge recently suppressed a woman’s statements to the police. The judge determined those statements were made under the threat that the police would call Children’s Protective Services (CPS) if she did not talk to them. Judge Hugh Clarke of the 54A District Court in […]

  A Kent County Judge has dismissed the criminal charges against Black River Builders owner Joe Novak, after the accidental workplace death of one of his subcontractors. According to the Judge, the company can be charged for violations, but Novak himself cannot.

Just a couple of weeks ago we wrote on the subject of Michigan’s new DNA laws, in which the state’s Supreme Court has ruled that anyone arrested for a serious crime can be swabbed for DNA samples by law enforcement, even if they are not yet charged with a crime. But the mere subject of […]

Since 9/11, the federal government has recruited state and local police to look for suspicious individuals and drugs on America’s highways to stop funding for terrorism. Much to the chagrin of drivers, the resulting traffic stops from all this vigilance also yield a great deal of cash.  This is seized by aggressive police, although many […]