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Solutions to the Indigent Defense Crisis
Dawn VanHoek's testimony from the December 14, 2009 hearing of the Michigan House Judiciary Committee.
Sentencing errors cost the state millions
From the May 11, 2009 Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
Dawn Van Hoek has been trying to convince legislators that errors in sentencing are not only wrong on a constitutional level. They also are costly, because sentences that are too long needlessly cost the state millions of dollars every year.
From SADO: Waste in Michigan Public Defense Spending
Testimony offered at the historic public defense congressional hearing on March 26, 2009 included written testimony by SADO's Chief Deputy Director, Dawn Van Hoek. The US House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security heard oral and written statements on the crisis in public defense that exists in Michigan and nationwide. Ms. Van Hoek's testimony related the significant savings in prison costs realized through correction of sentencing error on appeal, as well as the cost of wrongful convictions.
Detroit Police Crime Lab Closure
Closure of the Detroit Police Crime Lab occurred in September, 2008, including its firearms, DNA, fingerprint, chemical and explosives analysis sections. Detroit Mayor Ken Cockrel Jr. and Police Chief James Barren took the action, citing results of an audit conducted by the Michigan State Police. The lab closure has presented serious questions about the reliability of evidence in Wayne County cases going back at least 5 years, including those tried to a jury or judge, and those resulting in a guilty plea.
Michigan State Police Audit Findings
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