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…
After hearing testimony from Calhoun County prosecutors and representatives from the Michigan Innocence Project, Calhoun County judge Conrad Sindt granted Lorinda Swain a new hearing on charges she sexually assaulted her son nearly ten years ago. If you have been charged with any Michigan sex crime, it is critical to…
Effective July 1, teenagers who have mutually agreed upon sex with a younger teen will no longer be automatically listed on Michigan’s sex crimes registry. However, in certain circumstances your teen may still face placement of his or her name on the list. This includes situations such as where the…
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…
After years of criticism and unfair treatment of those convicted of minor sex offenses, the state Senate has approved a bill that will significantly alter the Michigan Sex Offenders Registry. As a result of the new Michigan sex crimes registry legislation, juvenile offenders will no longer make the public list.…
In the wake of the Michigan child pornography charges filed against Evan Emory, scholars are reviewing what the standards should be concerning the sharing of digital images, often not tied to any sexual malice yet charged as a sex crime with significant and often life long consequences. Evan Emory is…
A recent Grand Rapids investigation into just whose name is on the Michigan sex offender registry and whether those people are really predators revealed some disturbing statistics. The Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry (PSOR), which is designed to inform the public about “sexual predators” in their neighborhood, places anyone who…
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…
A Jackson County jury has determined that a Gore Summit man is not guilty of first and second-degree criminal sexual conduct. According to the Jackson Citizen Patriot, a man was accused of assaulting his now 13-year-old granddaughter who is developmentally delayed, mentally and emotionally. Criminal sexual conduct in the first…