Category Archives: News on Crime

The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals addressed the issue of a defendant who was ordered to pay restitution to the victims of the possession of child pornography. U.S. v. Hargrove was released on April 19, 2013. Hargrove pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. He possessed over 800 images and 16 videos of children. […]

Three Arraigned for Connection in String Of Robberies Three men held in connection to a large string of robberies were recently arraigned in a District 41-A courtroom. Prosecutors accuse Eric Eby, 19, Logan Gerring, 17, and Jesse Brusseau-Meray, 20 of robbing a gas station and suspect their involvement in the robberies of three Macomb county […]

In Michigan, registered sex offenders are placed into one of three Tiers. The Tiers determine the length and frequency of a person’s registration. Tier placement is based solely on the sex offense for which a person was convicted or adjudicated. Tier 1 is reserved for what the state considers to be low-level offenders, Tier 2 […]

A statutory amendment effective on March 31, 2013 will raise the blood alcohol limit for drunk driving starting on October 1, 2013. The current law states “operating while intoxicated” is as follows: An individual is under the influence of a controlled substance, alcoholic liquor, or other intoxicating substance or a combination of these; The person […]

Criminal representation is a process where a client literally puts his life in the hands of his attorney. I recently had occasion to revisit a case decided by the Michigan Court of Appeals late last year. It’s an unpublished decision, but it provides a helpful illustration of how a criminal case can quickly deteriorate without […]

A Mount Pleasant man faces numerous charges, including armed robbery, in connection with a slew of break-ins in Isabella County. Vincent Miguel Belmarez, 23, is accused of four robberies over three days, from February 16th to the 18th, with a fifth incident possibly linked to Belmarez and currently under investigation by Michigan State Police. If […]

Felons carrying firearms create some interesting for Michigan firearms defense attorneys who are trying to keep their clients out of prison. A recent case involving Flint, Michigan man is a case in point. A police chase in late February has resulted in both state and federal criminal charges for Flint resident, Donald Lee Burton. The […]

People v. Cortez was remanded to the Court of Appeals by the Michigan Supreme Court. The case was released on March 12, 2013. The purpose of the remand was to reconsider the defendant’s Miranda challenge in light of a recent U.S. Supreme Court case, Howes v. Fields. The defendant appealed as of right convictions of […]

Commonly in Michigan, people are prosecuted for various forms of prescription fraud. This usually happens when someone forges a prescription form and obtains prescription medications unlawfully. There are even large conspiracies where the group leader has access to a doctor’s DEA number or an illegally obtained pad of prescription forms. The leader typically uses numerous […]

A moment of rage can easily lead to the need for a top flight criminal defense attorney. A recent Ingham County case illustrates this. Michigan Teenager Charged With Murder A teenager from Rochester Hills was charged with the murder of an MSU student late last month, reportedly stabbing the victim to death. Connor McCowan, 19, […]