SADO Attorneys to argue before MSC at January session

January 22, 2025, Hall of Justice, Lansing MI
SADO’s Maya Menlo and Tina Olson will present argument before the Michigan Supreme Court on January 22, 2025, on life-without-parole sentencing for 18-, 19-, and 20-year olds, and associated retroactivity issues. The cases are:

Maya Menlo, People v Adam Michael Czarnecki 
MSC No. 166654 (COA No. 348732)

The Court directed the parties to address: “(1) whether [the] Court’s holding in People v Parks, 510 Mich 225 (2022), should be extended to defendants who are 19 years of age at the time they commit a crime and are sentenced to mandatory life without parole, see Const 1963, art 1, § 16; and (2) whether it is necessary to overrule People v Hall, 396 Mich 650 (1976), in order to extend Parks to defendants who were 19 years of age and, if so, whether [the Court] should overrule it.” The case is set for argument at 1:00 PM.

Tina Olson, People v Montario Marquise Taylor
MSC No. 166428 (COA No. 349544)

The Court directed the parties to address: “(1) whether [the] Court’s holding in People v Parks, 510 Mich 225 (2022), should be extended to defendants who are 20 years of age at the time they commit a crime and are sentenced to mandatory life without parole, see Const 1963, art 1, § 16; and (2) whether it is necessary to overrule People v Hall, 396 Mich 650 (1976), in order to extend Parks to defendants who were 20 years of age and, if so, whether [the Court] should overrule it.” The case is set for argument at 1:40 PM.

Maya Menlo, People v John Antonio Poole
MSC No. 166813 (COA No. 352569)

The Court directed the parties to address whether the “Court’s decision in People v Parks, 510 Mich 225 (2022), applies retroactively to cases that have become final after the expiration of the period for direct review.” The case is set for argument at 2:10 PM.

Case briefs and related materials are available at this link.

The arguments can be watched at this link.