Commission updates

On October 13, Governor Rick Snyder issued an executive order creating an indigent defense advisory commission. Click here to read the executive order and click here to read the Campaign's press release. The press release from the Office of the Governor can be found here.

The Commission has scheduled meetings for January 20, February 17 and March 16, 2012. All meetings will be from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Further meeting information will be posted on our online calendar as we receive it.

On December 2, the Indigent Defense Advisory Commission held its first public hearing at the State Bar of Michigan and received testimony from four organizations.

Nancy Diehl and Thomas Cranmer represented the State Bar of Michigan and spoke about the workings of the criminal justice system and the history of the State Bar’s involvement. David Carroll represented the National Legal Aid and Defender Association and presented the authority, methodology and findings of the 2008 Race to the Bottom report on Michigan’s trial-level public defense system. SADO’s own Dawn Van Hoek presented the history of appellate defense reform in Michigan and how funds can be saved with a more effective trial-level defense system. Finally, Peter Cunningham and Ken Mogill represented the Campaign for Justice and spoke about the human face of the problem, why reform is needed, and the ongoing devolution of public defense systems across the state.

On December 16, the commission heard invited testimony from Jim Samuels (Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan), Kevin Oeffner (Oakland County Circuit Court), Jeff Sauter (Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan), and Michelle Weemhoff (Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency).

The Campaign for Justice worked with the following individuals to testify during public comment or submit testimony (click on the link to read written testimony):

• Julie Beck, former Chippewa County Public Defender
• Ken Malkin, Bay County Public Defender
• Don Johnson, Legal Aid & Defender Association, Inc.
• Shelli Weisberg, ACLU of Michigan, and David Tucker, exoneree
• David Moran, Michigan Innocence Clinic
• William Fleener, Cooley Innocence Project
• Peter Psarouthakis, Michigan Council of Private Investigators
• Paul Stankewitz, Michigan Catholic Conference
• Jeff Edison, National Conference of Black Lawyers, Michigan Chapter
• Ruth Lloyd Harlin, sister of Eddie Joe Lloyd
• Frank Vandervort, University of Michigan Juvenile Justice Clinic
• Hon. William Schma (retired)
• Khalilah Spencer & John Johnson, Detroit Branch NAACP
• Maxine Thome, National Association of Social Workers - Michigan
• Michigan Partners in Crisis