Local Success: May, 2018

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.

James B. Schlaff won not guilty verdicts May 10, 2018, in a case in the 3rd Judicial (Wayne County) Circuit Court charging two counts of CSC1.

Joshua P. Rubin won not guilty verdicts from a jury in the 72nd Judicial District Court (Port Huron) in a case with charges including malicious destruction of property and drunk and disorderly person.

John R. Minock won a not guilty verdict May 11, 2018, in the 22nd Judicial (Washtenaw County) Circuit Court in a case charging child abuse.

Wendy H. Barnwell successfully moved for a directed verdict of acquittal in a false report of a felony case in the 3rd Judicial (Wayne County) Circuit Court.

Jennifer J. France, preparing for a re-trial, successfully moved to strike a State Trooper’s proposed expert testimony in a meth lab case.

Muskegon Public Defenders have had several recent successes. Chad D. Catalino won a not guilty verdict following a jury trial in an operating while intoxicated – third offense case. Mr. Catalino, the next week, won a not guilty verdict in a case charging tampering with a theft detection device. Paula Baker Mathes won a not guilty verdict from a jury in a first-degree criminal sexual conduct case – thus avoiding a 25-year mandatory minimum prison term; the client was convicted of a count of producing child sexually abusive material. Ms. Mathes, previously, won not guilty verdicts in a case charging felon in possession of a firearm and felony firearm.

by Neil Leithauser
Associate Editor