Criminal Penalties

What to Expect in the 48th District Court Bloomfield Hills Michigan

Published on: May 24, 2019 | by Patrick Barone

If you were arrested for a misdemeanor or felony, including drunk driving, within the cities of Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Keego Harbor, Sylvan Lake, Orchard Lake and the Townships of Bloomfield and West Bloomfield, then your case will be handled in the 48^th Judicial District Court, located in Bloomfield Hills Michigan.

Arraignment Procedures

Your case will begin with an arraignment. This is the first court hearing where you will learn the exact nature of your charges and when the conditions of your bond are set. You should plan on hiring an attorney before your arraignment so that you can get the best possible bond.

After you are arraignment your case will be set for a pretrial. It is possible for your case to be resolved at the first pretrial, but in most instances, several pretrials are necessary before your case reaches a conclusion. A pretrial hearing is where your lawyer, the prosecuting attorney, and the judge, determine whether your case can be resolved without a trial. This is also when pretrial issues, such as legal defenses and evidentiary issues, would be resolved. The reason a pretrial is called a “pre”-trial is because these things need to be addressed by the various parties before the case can continue to trial. A pretrial is also where plea bargaining and sentence bargaining, if applicable, would be addressed.

What is Constructive Possession of Guns or Drugs?

Published on: August 10, 2018 | by Patrick Barone

Constructive possession is a legal fiction that allows you to be charged with a serious crime even when the guns or drugs are not found on you. Usually this will happen when you are the driver or passenger of a car where the guns or drugs are found, or when they are found in a home you occupy. To fully understand this legal concept, it is helpful to start with a definition of the term “constructive.”

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “constructive” means: “not obvious or stated explicitly; derived by inference.” In the law the word constructive is used to cover many things that are implied, inferred or imputed to a person under a specific set of circumstances. So, lawyers use phrases like “constructive contract” to refer to a contract that can be implied by people’s behavior even though the terms of the contract were never written down on a signed document. Similar legal concepts include constructive notice, constructive assent, constructive trust, constructive conversion, and so on.

With constructive possession it is the possession that is implied or inferred. According to Black’s Law Dictionary, constructive possession occurs “where one does not have physical custody or possession but is in a position to exercise dominion or control over a thing.” Michigan courts recognize that the term “possession” includes both actual and constructive possession. Accordingly, a person has constructive possession if there is proximity to the article together with indicia of control.[i] Said differently, a person has constructive possession if the location of the drugs or the gun is known, and it is reasonably accessible to the person. Physical possession is not necessary if the person has constructive possession.[ii] Constructive possession can be established with circumstantial evidence. [iii]

Keeping MI Drug Possession Charges Off Your Permanent Record

Published on: August 9, 2018 | by Patrick Barone

Having drug charges on your criminal record can be a life-changing experience. Such charges can impact your job, your income, and your future. However, depending on the circumstances, your attorney may be able to help you keep your drug charges off your permanent criminal record. These methods can present you with great advantages and can help you to minimize the damage a drug conviction could cause.

The best way to avoid a criminal record is to find a lawyer who can win your case. Consequently, finding and hiring an experienced drug possession lawyer near me is a good start. Your lawyer will look at the facts of the case, including the results of a chemical test, as well as the police conduct, to determine what legal defenses, if any, apply to your case. These will be discussed with you so that you can make an informed decision about how to proceed. Your trial options should be discussed with your lawyer as well.

Once all your legal options and defenses have been pursued, the next step is to decide if you should plead guilty. If you do decide that this is your best option, then there are possibly two different ways to avoid a conviction even when you plead guilty. These are called “section 7411” and HYTA.

What Happens if Violate My Probation in Michigan?

Published on: August 3, 2018 | by Patrick Barone

What is Probation

What Is Probation?

In Michigan, probation is a legal status that allows a person convicted of a misdemeanor or felony to remain in the community under court supervision instead of serving time in jail or prison. Under MCL 771.1, a court may place a person on probation if it determines the person is not likely to engage in further criminal conduct and that the public welfare does not require incarceration. Probation is considered a privilege, not a right, and is granted at the discretion of the sentencing judge.

Oakland County Jail’s Virtual Work Release Program

Published on: April 11, 2018 | by Patrick Barone

Beginning in early February 2010, “virtual” work release is available for some offenders. After the new program starts, the traditional work release program will be eliminated. This significant change has the potential to impact criminal law sentence negotiation and overall sentencing practices throughout Oakland County.

Virtual work release will consist of an ankle tether using a satellite and radio global positioning system (GPS) monitored by the Oakland County Sheriff. It will give the Sheriff’s Office the ability to carefully track an inmate’s location twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The radio technology will even allow a defendant to be tracked inside a home or workplace.

The eligibility for the new program has not changed. Accordingly, a judge must authorize participation prior to enrollment in the virtual work release program and offenders sentenced on any CSC charge are not eligible. Also, there may be no outstanding warrants, holds, or unpaid bonds.

What’s the Difference Between a Violation of Probation and a Technical Violation of Probation?

Published on: January 25, 2018 | by Patrick Barone

Generally speaking, a violation of probation means that while on an order of probation you have done something the court ordered you not to do or failed to do something the court affirmatively ordered you to do. A technical violation specifically means a violation of the terms of probation, and punishment for a technical violation is limited to 30 days in jail.

In Michigan, if you are on probation this means you have been convicted of a crime. There are some differences between misdemeanor probation and felony probation, and this article primarily addresses felony probation.

Michigan Compiled Laws § 771.4 provides that “it is the intent of the legislature that the granting of probation is a matter of grace conferring no vested right to its continuance. If during the probation period the sentencing court determines that the probationer is likely again to engage in an offensive or criminal course of conduct or that the public good requires revocation of probation, the court may revoke probation.”

When May I Lawfully Transport a Pistol in My Car?

Published on: September 12, 2017 | by Patrick Barone

If you own any kind of firearm in Michigan, chances are good that at some point you will want to transport that weapon using a motor vehicle. Doing this responsibly requires some knowledge of the law, and if you are uncertain how the law applies to your situation, then you may consider contacting one of the Michigan Gun Crimes Lawyers at the Barone Defense Firm.

As a general principle, any time you have a firearm in a motor vehicle, that weapon is considered concealed. This is true whether the firearm is open and obvious inside the vehicle or not. Carrying a concealed weapon is a five-year felony in Michigan. There is no such thing as “open carry” inside a car. A violation of this law is a five-year felony. See Michigan Compiled Laws Sec. 750.227. Persons with a valid Concealed Pistol License (CPL) are exempt from this law.

If you have a CPL, then you may carry a loaded pistol inside the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle anytime you like. However, if you do not have a CPL a whole different set of rules applies, and it is important for you as a gun owner to understand these rules. Otherwise, you might inadvertently find yourself charged with serious felony.

Role of Defense Lawyers in the Mitigation of Collateral Consequences

Published on: February 13, 2017 | by Patrick Barone

Collateral consequences are the loss of rights a person suffers after being convicted of a crime. They have previously been described as having the potential to cause “civil death.” Such consequences are different from the punishments that might be imposed by a judge as part of a criminal case. This is because collateral consequences are not found in criminal statutes. Instead, they often arise out of the myriad civil statutes or civil consequences that are triggered by the criminal conviction. This means that most collateral consequences require no judge to impose them, and they afford no opportunity for due process.

Most crimes are punishable by a statutorily allowed maximum period of prison or jail time. For example, a standard, first offense drunk driving in Michigan, carries with it the possibility of up to 93 days in jail. However, for cases involving a test result of .17 or above, the maximum penalty increases to 180 days. In a drunk driving causing death, charged as second-degree murder, is punishable by life in the state prison, or any term of years. These specific statutory maximums are significant because a criminal lawyer advising her client about a conviction can usually predict, at least within a range, the actual time a client will spend behind bars. The same is most certainly not true of collateral consequences.

A case addressing this is United States v. Nesbeth, 188 F.Supp.3d 179 (2016). Nesbeth was convicted of importation of cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. The advisory guidelines would have allowed a sentence of between 33 and 41 years in prison, but because of the significant collateral consequences, the judge saw fit to give him no jail at all, meaning straight probation. The opinion explaining why should be required reading for all criminal defense attorneys.

Health Professionals Must Self-Report Criminal Convictions to Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

Published on: September 14, 2016 | by Patrick Barone

Criminal defense lawyers who represent Michigan’s health care professionals, including doctors, dentists and nurses, are often unaware that their clients have a duty to self-report a criminal conviction to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). According to Aaron J. Kemp of the Chapman Law Group “the resulting economic and professional consequences from a failure to self-report such a criminal conviction can be devastating.”

In his white paper entitled “Criminal Conviction Self-Reporting for Michigan Licensed Health Care Professionals,” doctors, dentists, nurses and all other licensed health care professionals must report their criminal convictions within 30 days of the date of the conviction. A failure to report a criminal conviction can have serious consequences, including reprimand, denial of licensure, limitation, probation, or fine. The fine can be anywhere from $250.00 – $5,000.00.

In a criminal case a conviction usually occurs when either a person accused of a crime pleads guilty or is found guilty by a judge or jury at trial. This is the conviction date even if sentencing takes place days, weeks or months later; the clock starts ticking as soon as the court acknowledges the conviction in a written order or judgement.