Local Success: February, 2017

Below are trial court victories of our subscribers as reported on SADO’s Forum—an online community for criminal defense attorneys. Subscribers are encouraged to submit their stories of success on SADO’s Forum and/or directly to Associate Editor Neil Leithauser at nleithauserattorney@comcast.net. SADO’s CDRC Subscription information is available by contacting Heather Waara at hwaara@sado.org.

Mary Chartier and Takura N. Nyamfukudza won not guilty verdicts for their client February 7, 2017, after a jury trial in the 17th Judicial (Kent County) Circuit Court on charges of two counts of CSC1.

John W. Ujlaky won a plea withdrawal for his client February 9, 2017, in a CSC1 case in the 45th Judicial (St. Joseph County) Circuit Court.

Michael A. Faraone secured a stipulation from the prosecution in the 7th Judicial (Genesee County) Circuit Court for a new trial in a case with a second-degree murder conviction.

Mitchell T. Foster got a first-degree home invasion charge quashed in the 3rd Judicial (Wayne County) Circuit Court and replaced by a reduced misdemeanor charge of entry without breaking.

Chippewa County Deputy Defender Kristin M. Giommi had a full-week with four trials scheduled in district court; a larceny case was dismissed before trial, a DWLS was pled down to a lesser infraction, a retail fraud charge was dismissed, and a felony attempt second-degree home invasion charge was avoided through a plea to a misdemeanor.

Jordan A. Zuppke won a two-count OWI and carrying a pistol under the influence case in the 46th Judicial District Court (Southfield), despite there being a .16 level breath test.

Adil Haradhvala had two successes in the 16th Judicial (Macomb County) Circuit Court.  In one case, successful re-pleading of the client resulted in a time-served sentence in an unarmed robbery case, and the client thereafter was released.  In the second case, an assault by strangulation charge – with a potential 25-year mandatory minimum sentence for the habitual fourth offender status – was dismissed on the trial date.

Leo F. Madarang and Adam C. Vanderpols won a not guilty verdict for their client February 28, 2017, in an aggravated assault case in the 56th Judicial District Court.

by Neil Leithauser
Associate Editor