The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled against hearing an appeal from a sexual-assault trial where a screen was used to block a witness from seeing the man accused. At issue is whether the placement of the screen deprived the defendant of his constitutional right to confront his accuser. In a…
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear argument next week in a case involving the confrontation clause of the Sixth Amendment. The confrontation clause generally provides the right of an accused to “confront” a witness testifying against him or her at trial by way of cross-examination. In Williams v.…
A bill making it through the Michigan state Senate seeks to expand laws making prohibiting sex between school employees and students. If passed Senate Bill 596 would make consensual sex between school employees – including teachers and administrators – to have sex with students even if the student is older…
A Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled that new testimony may be heard in the sexual assault case of Lorinda Swain. Swain is seeking a new trial on sexual assault charges after being convicted by a jury in 2002 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving her son. Criminal sexual conduct…
In a teen criminal sexual conduct case that has received national attention, the Quincy Board of Education met yesterday to determine whether a 17-year-old Quincy High School senior accused of statutory rape may continue playing on the varsity football teen. The 17-year-old has not been convicted of any sex crime.…
Detroit News reports that a Wayne County judge has removed a man’s name from the sex crimes registry after he successfully petitioned the court. Kenneth Thornberry, now 26, went to prison in 2005 as the result of having consensual sex with his girlfriend of two years. He was 18 and…
Grand Rapids news reports that the Michigan Supreme Court will review the trial of a man convicted of a raping a woman at gun-point. In 2002, a Kent County jury convicted Ramon Bryant for an alleged rape and armed robbery he committed at age 16. However, as the result of…
According to the Lansing State Journal, Michigan State Police Trooper Joseph Donovan has been found not guilty of rape by an Ingham County jury. Donovan was standing trial for nine counts of first degree sexual misconduct. The jury found him not guilty on seven counts and deadlocked on the other…
In November, the Court of Appeals for Livingston County overturned a jury verdict finding Gary Clinton Owens guilty of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. The Court of Appeals found the combination of prosecutorial misconduct as well as inadequate defense representation required that the conviction be overturned. A new trial date has…
A recent case involving a Central Michigan University student highlights the long-term and often unjust consequences of statutory rape and sexual misconduct laws on teens. News out of Saginaw and Mount Pleasant reports that a 19-year-old man from Isabella County’s Union Township faces a potential 4-year prison sentence after failing…