Michigan Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

We've all heard the term "Traffic Offense." Usually, it's used to denote a legal problem of relatively minor significance. Sometimes the term "Traffic Offense" is improperly used as a synonym for "Traffic Ticket." While all Traffic Tickets, are, by their very nature, Traffic Offenses, not all Traffic Offenses are merely simple Traffic Tickets.

Traffic Offenses can be divided into 2 categories: Civil Infractions and Misdemeanors. Civil Infractions are Offenses which DO NOT carry any possible Jail term. Most, but not all, Civil Infractions carry Points, which are applied to a Driver's Record, plus fines. Think Speeding Ticket.

Traffic Misdemeanors, on the other hand, DO carry a potential Jail Sentence. In addition, many, although not all, Misdemeanor Traffic Offenses carry Points, as well as fines and Court costs. Think DUI and Suspended License charges.

In my Criminal Practice, the general lack of clarity regarding a "Traffic Offense" comes up in many different ways. Let's look at a few examples.

When someone hires me because they've been charged with a crime, and I ask if they have any prior Criminal Convictions, I often get a response like "no, just some Traffic stuff." But as we've seen, some Traffic Offenses are Civil Infractions, and others are Misdemeanors. All Traffic Misdemeanors are, first and foremost, Misdemeanors, meaning they are Criminal Offenses. A person convicted of a DUI, or Driving While License Suspended charge does, in fact, have a "prior," or "priors." A person with 100 Speeding Tickets, but no prior Misdemeanor of Felony convictions, (Traffic or otherwise), despite being a lousy driver, does not have any "priors."

Here's where it gets tricky: Traffic Misdemeanors can NEVER be removed from a person's Criminal Record. While even a Delivery of Heroin Felony conviction can be set aside, by law, no Traffic Misdemeanor can ever "come off" a person's Record. Traffic Misdemeanor are worse than bad tattoos; at least a tattoo can be removed, even though the process is painful.

Continue reading "Misdemeanor Driving Offenses - On Your Record Forever" »

I doubt anyone I represent in Court has any intention of ever getting arrested again. As a Criminal Defense Lawyer for nearly 20 years, I can honestly say that I've heard the "it won't happed again" story thousands upon thousands of times. At the end of the day, however, a larger-than-you-might-expect number of Cases that I handle involve someone who is on Probation for one Offense getting arrested and charged with a new Offense.

And of course, they're afraid. In some cases, "freaking out" may be a more applicable term. Let's try to ease some of that apprehension by taking a look at what's really going on when this happens.

For starters, unless the new Offense involves some kind of Peace March, things are not going to be particularly good with the Judge to whom the person is on Probation. Generally speaking, any new criminal activity triggers a Probation Violation. It is beyond the scope of this article to define what does and doesn't constitute a Violation. On both my web site, and in another Blog article, I discuss Probation Violations in considerable detail. For our purposes, we'll assume the person arrested again is going to have to accept some kind of Plea deal on the new Case, thus guaranteeing a Violation on the old Case.

Okay, so when they call they're nervous. Often, however, I find that a person's concern is misplaced. In other words, while many individuals with whom I speak first express concern over what will happen in the new Case, it falls upon me to explain that the real cause for concern is with the old Case.

The plain fact of the matter is that Judges spend all day dealing with people who have prior Records. They're inclined to give a fresh look to someone who's new to them, unless of course the person has such a long prior Record that it begins to define who they are (think habitual offender...).

Continue reading "Michigan - Picking up a new Offense While on Probation for another" »

This is another installment of "Short Version" Blog articles which take the most important points from a longer, full-version article. In this article, we'll boil down the most important aspects from the longer article "Criminal Defense Lawyer in Michigan, whose Practice involves the regular handling of Drug Cases in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties, (and also includes, on occasion, St. Clair, Lapeer and Livingston Counties), I am often asked by my clients about a way to keep a Drug Charge off of their Record.

In Michigan, there is a provision of the law known as "7411," which is the abbreviated citation for the actual law, MCL 333.7411. This section of the law is truly a gift for anyone without a prior Drug Record who winds up facing a Drug Possession Charge. It allows a person with a pending Drug Charge to work out a deal where they offer a Plea of "Guilty" to a Drug Possession Charge, and the Court, by arrangement, "holds" that Plea without putting it on their record. The best way I've thought of to describe how this works is this:

A person charged with a Drug Possession Crime has his or her Lawyer work out a 7411 deal. If the deal goes through, the person Pleads guilty to the Drug Possession Charge, with an understanding that the Judge will "hold" the Plea in his or her desk drawer for a period of time. During that period (typically, about 1 year) the person will be placed on Probation (this may be Reporting or Non-Reporting Probation) and ordered to do certain things and not do others. If they do what they are ordered to do, and don't do anything they're not supposed to do, then at the end of the period set by the Judge, the whole matter is dismissed, and never goes on their Record.

Because all Drug Possession charges carry a mandatory Driver's License Suspension upon conviction (6 months for a 1st offense, with no driving for the first 30 days; the Court may, if it so chooses, grant a Restricted License for the remaining 5 months), the 7411 is a real break. Because a 7411 deal means there is no conviction, then the Secretary of State is not notified of anything, and thus there is no License Suspension.

Of course, if the person doesn't do what they are ordered to do as a Condition of Probation (like report, if that was ordered, or provide a urine sample, if that was ordered), or if they do something they weren't supposed to do (like get arrested for a new crime, or test positive for Drugs while on Probation), then their Probation will be "Violated" and the Judge is likely, before imposing any other punishment, to "Revoke" or take away the 7411 deal. This means that a conviction will then go on their Record and their License will subsequently be Suspended by the Secretary of State for a Drug Crime."

7411 is available for any Drug Possession Charge. This means that whether a person is charged with the Misdemeanor Offense of Possession of Marijuana, or the Felony Charge of Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Heroin, Possession of Analogues (Vicodin, Oxycontin, Valium, or any other narcotic derivative in pill form), or even Possession of Ecstasy ("E"), or any other Drug, for that matter, the whole case can be kept off of their record if they have no prior Drug Crimes in their past.

For those who meet the eligibility requirements of 7411 and who are successful in getting the deal, it offers what can basically be described as a "free pass." 7411 can only be granted once in a person's lifetime, so there is no second bite at the apple. In cases where a person doesn't have a good shot at beating the Charge, 7411 offers the same final outcome; the whole thing goes away with no Record.

This is the second in a series of "Short Version" posts which summarizes the main points of a much larger, prior Blog post. In this article, we'll boil down the essentials of HYTA, which is a tool that I use, as Criminal Defense Attorney who practices in the Detroit-area, to keep a Criminal Charge and Conviction off of a person's record if the Offense occurred before their 21st birthday.

The Holmes Youthful Trainee Act (HYTA) allows a person who commits a Criminal Offense after their 17th, but prior to their 21st birthday, to keep the whole thing off their Record if their Lawyer can get the Court to agree to handle the case that way. The key thing here is that HYTA is discretionary, meaning that the decision whether to allow it or not is completely up to the Judge.

A person must first qualify for HYTA before a Judge can even consider granting it or not. In order to qualify, the Offense must occur before the person's 21st birthday. This is an important point, because sometimes a person can be close to their 21st birthday when an Offense occurs, but not be actually charged with it until after their birthday. Since the Court only looks to the date the Offense was committed, even a person who has long since turned 21 is still eligible for HYTA, as long as the Offense occurred before that birthday.

Beyond the issue of the person's age, there are a number of Offenses which cannot be kept off a person's record under HYTA. The most significant of these are what are known as "Capital Offenses," meaning crimes like 1st Degree Murder, which carries a penalty of up to life in prison. Likewise, certain Criminal Sexual Conduct charges, and Major Controlled Substance Offenses cannot be kept off a person's record (the technical term is "Deferred") under HYTA. Also, Traffic Offenses (like DUI and Driving While License Suspended) cannot be handled under HYTA.

Usually, if I'm representing someone who otherwise qualifies, I will seek to have the Prosecutor agree to handle the case under HYTA, even though the final decision is the Judge's alone. Even so, if the Prosecutor can be persuaded to agree to handle a case under HYTA, it goes a long way toward persuading the Court to go along, as well. While it's helpful to have the Prosecutor agree, their lack of cooperation is not fatal to the chances of having a case kept off a person's record under HYTA. I have handled cases where the Prosecutor has either not agreed to go along, but has not openly objected to HYTA, and where the Prosecutor has outright placed their objection to a HYTA deferral on the record, and have still been able to persuade the Judge to go along, anyway.

Once the Court agrees to HYTA, the person charged with the crime (the Defendant) must satisfactorily complete Probation. If they Violate Probation, one of the first things that can happen is that the Judge can "revoke" their HYTA status, and the Criminal charge and conviction wind up on their record. Of course, when a person faces a Probation Violation, beyond trying to keep their HYTA status intact, a Lawyer also tries to keep them out of Jail.

The best thing about HYTA is that absolutely nothing winds up on the Defendant's record. Even if the person were to have fought the case at Trial and won, the original charge and subsequent acquittal would still show up on their record. In every sense of the word, HYTA is an opportunity to have a truly "clean" record.

As a Criminal Defense Attorney in Michigan, I am often asked about keeping Criminal Charges off of a person's record, or having such charges "come off" their record after a period of time. This post will discuss those cases where charges can "come off" a person's record.

In two other Blog posts, we've reviewed how Drug Possession charges can be kept off of a person's record using something known as a 7411, and how almost any crime which occurs between a person's 17th and 21st birthday (including Drug Possession charges) can likewise be kept off their record using what's known as HYTA. Under each of these two mechanisms, no Public Record is made of the matter, and if the person completes whatever probationary terms the Court requires, the whole case essentially "goes away."

Obviously, there are plenty of cases where a person would not be eligible for either of those opportunities (for example, the person is over 21 and the crime with which they are charged isn't Drug Possession). There is still a way to keep a person from ultimately showing a conviction in many of those cases, and it applies equally to Felonies and Misdemeanors.

Under a law known as 771.1 (formally, MCL 771.1), a person who pleads to or is found guilty of any offense which is not otherwise disqualified from such treatment, such as Murder, Treason, Criminal Sexual Conduct in the 1st or 3rd degree, or Major Controlled Substance Violations, may have that conviction automatically "come off" their record after successfully completing 1 year of Probation.

The common way of discussing this arrangement is that the charge "comes off" a person's record. And that's exactly what happens. Of course, this means that the conviction first "goes on" their record. The legal term that describes this is "Delayed Sentencing." Technically speaking, the Court puts a person on Probation for a year, and delays the imposition of any further punishment. If the person completes this year of Probation (it can be either non-reporting, or the person may be required to report) without any violations, then the court, instead of actually sentencing the person, dismisses the whole case. That means that no record of the Conviction remains.

Continue reading "Michigan Criminal Offenses - Having a Conviction "come off" your Record" »

One of the first questions that I ask any caller, as a Criminal Attorney practicing in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties, is "how old are you?" I ask this because there is a provision of Michigan Law, Called the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, or HYTA, which allows a person who commits a crime after their 17th, but before their 21st birthday, to keep the whole thing off their record.

In an earlier Blog post, we examined how Drug Possession charges can be kept off anyone's record, regardless of age, if they have no prior Drug Record, under something known as a "7411." The HYTA law can produce the same result, but two features make it very different from 7411:

1. HYTA only applies to people charged with a crime which occurred after their 17th birthday, but before their 21st birthday. That age range is inflexible; if someone is charged with a crime that occurred one day before their 17th birthday, or on the very day of their 21st birthday, they are ineligible. Section 7411 does not have any age limitations.

2. HYTA applies to all kinds of Crimes, not just Drug Possession charges, like section 7411. There are certain exceptions: Crimes punishable by imprisonment for life (Capitol Offenses), Major Drug Crimes and all Traffic Offenses.

The reasoning behind this law is the recognition that young people, on occasion, do dumb things. An instance of bad judgment before one has the chance to mature and think like an adult should not necessarily handicap that person for life with a Criminal Record, which can have all kinds of negative consequences for future advancement. HYTA is equally applicable to Felonies and Misdemeanors, with the exceptions mentioned above. HYTA status allows a person to prove to the Court that they can stay out of trouble long enough to warrant dismissing the whole case without ever placing it upon their Public Record.

Continue reading "Michigan Criminal Charges - Avoiding a Conviction with HYTA" »

As a Criminal Defense Attorney in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, handling Drug Possession Offenses, including Possession of Marijuana, in the Detroit area is part of my everyday routine. Sometimes, a person with whom I'm speaking has a vague, or general idea that a Possession charge can be kept off of their record. Most often, the person will tell me that they've heard of some legal provision that will allow a Drug Crime to be taken "under advisement" or "come off" their record.

While that's partly true, the whole truth is even better: In many cases, especially in Drug Possession cases where a person has no prior Drug Possession convictions, it is usually possible to keep the entire matter from ever going on their record in the first place. This means that there is never anything which will need to "come off" their record later.

Many people are unaware that a conviction for any Drug Possession charge requires the Court to Suspend a person's Driver's License. While there is some availability for a Restricted License in Drug Possession cases (see my earlier Blog post for a detailed discussion of Restricted Licenses in Drug Cases), the bigger point here is that all of that can be avoided, and there will be no License Suspension, if the whole case is kept off a person's record in the first place.

The most common method by which a charge is kept off a person's record is known as a "7411." This actually refers to a statue (the technical term for a law) in Michigan's Public Health Code, formally known as MCL 333.7411. MCL stands for Michigan Compiled Laws, the formal title for Michigan's statutes (laws).

7411 is also known as a "deferral," which means, in a figurative manner of speaking, that a person, by arrangement with the Court, offers to plead guilty to a Drug Possession charge. The Court, by that same arrangement, essentially agrees to keep the whole charge and plea "secret."

Continue reading " Drug Possession in Michigan - Keeping it off your Record with 7411" »

"How can they charge me with possession for such a small amount?" This is another question that comes up quite often when handling drug cases. Possession charges can come about when a small amount of drugs, or residue of drugs is found. In some cases, a single marijuana "roach" (butts of a marijuana cigarette, often too small to be smoked any further), or a few "roaches" are found as part of a vehicle search. Similarly, leftover residue of burnt marijuana or other drugs, inside a pipe, is sometimes used to bring this charge.

Typically, the first question anyone who is facing such a charge asks is "isn't there some minimum amount" needed to charge a person with Possession?

The short answer is yes, but just enough to test. This means that even the smallest amount of drugs can create legal troubles.

Moreover, charging someone with Possession requires a lot less evidence than convicting someone of that charge. The often asked question, "how can they charge me with Possession?" can be answered rather simply: They can because they did.

Of course, there are scenarios where the mere presence of residue is not enough to sustain a Possession charge. For example, it is widely known that paper currency often carries small, or trace amount of drugs (especially cocaine) both because of the use of rolled up bills to snort the drugs, and because money and drugs are often in the same area. What's more, as money that has drug residue is folded up or grouped with other money that does not, some of the "clean" money will pick up some of that residue.

Thus, a trace amount of drugs on money found on a person, without more, is not enough to bring a Possession charge.

But a folded up rectangle of paper that was used to hold cocaine, or heroin, or a baggie with drug residue left inside is another story.

Similarly, the Prosecutor has to show that a person "knowingly" or "intentionally" possessed the drugs. Thus, if the "roaches" are in the ashtray of your brother-in-law's car, which you were borrowing, the charge may not stand up. If, on the other hand, the "roaches" are in the ashtray of your car, and you just forget to dump them out, then a Possession charge will probably stick.

Continue reading "Drug Possession in Michigan - What is the Amount Required?" »

As a Criminal Defense Attorney in Macomb County, I spend a lot of time in the local Courts. Whether it's in St. Clair Shores, Eastpointe, Roseville, Clinton Twp., Sterling Heights, Shelby Twp., New Baltimore or Romeo, I am often representing someone charged with Retail Fraud who, when stopped leaving the store, had more than enough money to pay for the merchandise they were caught with.

Many Retail Fraud cases involve a person with a drug habit, who is stealing in order to either return, or sell the merchandise, in order to buy drugs. Likewise, a fair number of cases involve younger people, some of whom try and expand their wardrobes by getting some merchandise for "free," or are out on a "dare" to see if they can "get away with it."

Lately, I've run into several cases involving mature, grown, women, some of whom were married and had good jobs, who got caught trying to steal merchandise that they more than able to afford. Sometimes these cases are talked about in terms of a "cry for help."

Whether due to stresses at home or work, or perhaps because of looming economic stress, these Clients have spent an entire lifetime as solid, law-abiding citizens who suddenly engage in out-of-character behavior that defies explanation. Once caught, they are remorseful, tearful, scared of the legal consequences of their actions, and hugely embarrassed by them.

In the majority of these cases, the person caught will be taken to the Store's Loss Prevention Office. Sometimes, they'll be asked to write a statement of admission. In most cases, the Police are called. After the Police arrive, they'll take the person's name and information, and run a Criminal Record check on them to check their criminal background, if any, and to make sure they have no outstanding arrest warrants. If the person comes back with a clean, or reasonably clean prior record, they are usually not arrested or taken into custody.

Continue reading "Retail Fraud - Civil Demand, Public Embarrassment and No Record" »