Statistical analysis has shown that in cases where an individual was exonerated of a crime by DNA evidence, 25% of those cases involved a misidentification by a witness of the suspect. Unfortunately, misidentifications in some cases have lead to wrongful convictions and lengthy prison sentences. Human memory is not foolproof. Research has…
A common bond condition and/or condition of sentence in domestic violence cases is for the Defendant to not have any contact with the complaining witness. No contact generally means no direct contact or no indirect contact. Direct contact includes activities such as face to face meetings, telephone calls, video conferencing, etc.. Indirect…
The 52nd District Court – 4th Division (which is also referred to as the Troy District Court or the 52-4 District Court) is located at 520 W. Big Beaver Road in the city of Troy, Michigan. The Court serves the citizens of Troy and Clawson, and handles civil, criminal, nuisance, zoning,…
There are several situations when a bench warrant is issued by a Court, leaving the Defendant with the question, “how do I turn myself in on the warrant”? After a crime is allegedly committed, there are occasions when a police department sends a letter to a person who the police…
Zero Tolerance Program (ZTP) is a drug testing program in Oakland County which can spare a Defendant a lengthy stay in the Oakland County Jail. Any individual convicted of a non violent felony or misdemeanor charge which allows for jail time, and who does not have 2 assaultive felonies over…
The Adult Treatment Court in Oakland County seeks to break the cycle of addiction that leads to criminal behavior through intense Court supervision and participation into various recovery and counseling services. There is also a separate program for juvenile offenders in Oakland County as well. In order to graduate from the program, the…
For Defendants in Oakland County that are on bond or bail sentence, and Defendants who are under a misdemeanor or felony sentence in Oakland County, the Court sometimes orders drug and/or alcohol testing. Under RESULTS, the individual is assigned a letter for alcohol testing and/or a color for drug testing. The…
Pretrial Services is a unit of Oakland County Probation which screens individuals and provides reports to Judges and Magistrates in connection with setting bond or bail for criminal cases in Oakland County. Pretrial Services is supposed to provide neutral, non adversarial, accurate reports at initial court hearings and whenever bond…
As a condition of bail, bond, or sentence a Defendant can be ordered by a Court to comply with electronic monitoring. Electronic monitoring provides Pretrial Services, Probation, and/or Parole with an opportunity to closely supervise an individual in the community. There are several types of electronic monitoring devices that are…
In Oakland County, District Court Judges have the ability to sentence a individual convicted of a misdemeanor to WWAM. WWAM is a supervised community service program in which the participant performs work for government or non profit organizations Wednesdays through Sunday. Often WWAM is ordered in lieu of a jail sentence. It…