Maya Menlo receives Norris Thomas Award

From the June 2024 Criminal Defense Newsletter

Maya Menlo and Keino Nabors

The Michigan Appellate Defender Commission honored SADO Assistant Defender Maya Menlo with the 2023 Norris Thomas Award for Excellence in Appellate Advocacy. A 2018 Graduate of Yale Law School, Maya has worked at SADO for almost five years. She is a compassionate, creative, and devoted attorney who is completely committed to her clients.

Maya’s accomplishments at SADO are already legendary – retroactive application of the prohibition of mandatory life without parole sentences for eighteen-year-olds, People v Poole,1 limitations on problematic prosecutor parole appeals, In re Parole of McBrayer,2 and voluntariness of pleas where there is misinformation on habitual offender enhancement, People v Guyton.3

To Maya, what matters though are the individual people we represent, the relationships she forms, and the real successes for them. One of many examples is Keino Nabors: Maya represented Mr. Nabors for years. He was released on appellate bond since January 2021 and, for the past three years, he has been saving lives as an ambassador for the Group Violence Intervention Program in Kalamazoo. Due to Maya’s advocacy, the prosecutor ultimately agreed to resentencing, then Maya convinced the judge to give him a time served sentence. Mr. Nabors is free and clear and excited to continue serving his community.

Maya is active in the larger community serving as a frequent criminal defense trainer, representing SADO on the Michigan Second Look Coalition, which is drafting sentencing reform litigation, and occasionally moonlighting as a magician’s assistant.

In a survey, Maya’s colleagues described her as “whip-smart,” “tenacious,” “indefatigable,” “stellar,” “profound,” “badass,” “compassionate,” “magic,” “innovative,” “brilliant,” “kind,” and “golden.”

Jonathan Sacks
SADO Director

Endnotes
1 ___ Mich App ___ (Docket No. 352569).
2 511 Mich 403 (2023).
3 511 Mich 291 (2023).