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Wayne County Prosecutor Layoffs to Impact Cases
One Grosse Pointe city attorney said he intends to minimize the impact by increasing the number of prosecutions of high-level misdemeanors.
The layoffs at the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office are likely to impact cases as evidenced this week by the dismissal of many in 36th District Court beacuase no prosecutor was available.
City of Grosse Pointe attorney Charles Kennedy said this week that the layoffs mean he'll be stepping up prosecution of high-level misdemeanors as a result. The layoffs downtown won't mean people in the City of Grosse Pointe will simply get away with committing a crime.
The Pointes are in a unique situation as it relates to being able to prosecute at the local level. They are the only cities in the state remaining with municipal courts.
As a result, each city's attorney has prosecutorial power on midemeanor cases.
Kennedy said the public should be aware that those crimes will not go unnoticed or unpunished as he intends to step up prosecution when appropriate.
According to information released by Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, the layoffs will mean the decline in prosecuting lower level felonies and misdemeanors. Instead their prosecutions going forward will concentrate on the higher level, more violent crimes.
Kennedy estimated the number of cases he believes will result in his prosecution is about 15 to 20 annually. They will be prosecuted under the city's ordinance, he said.
He informed council of this as he said he doesn't want the public to think cases will go un-recognized.
While Kennedy was only speaking in regards to the City of Grosse Pointe, the prosecution of misdemeanors is a possibiltiy in all of the Pointes with their municipal courts.
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George R. McMullen Jr.
8:23 am on Saturday, March 23, 2013
Grosse Pointe steps up...... thank you to Attorney Kennedy for not allowing decreased budgets in Wayne County to affect procecutions in Grosse Pointe...Well done
Gary M. Wilson, Esq.
5:54 pm on Saturday, March 23, 2013
Mr. McMullen: you have been mislead by inept reporting and a local hired city attorney who, as reported, appeared before his own city council to say that he would continue to do what he has always done, what he has always been empowered and REQUIRED by state law to do, and to continue to do what he has always been paid to do...
As a City resident, I am grateful for the assurance that my tax dollars are being used for the purposes for which the City has budgeted, and that Mr Kennedy understands why Grosse Pointe has paid vast sums of money to Fildew Hinks, PLLC over these nigh-on 30+ years.
Cheryl Korejwo
8:30 am on Saturday, March 23, 2013
I guess it wouldn't be a good idea then for Mr. Ficano to have his own driver now would it.....what in the world is this man thinking?
Queen of hearts
9:34 am on Saturday, March 23, 2013
Cheryl ,
Ficano was not seeking a driver, he was seeking a THIRD driver for his staff!
Cheryl Korejwo
9:39 am on Saturday, March 23, 2013
I really don't think anyone should be seeking drivers at this point.
Regis E. Rachal
3:25 pm on Saturday, March 23, 2013
How do I get a cushi job with a broke county anyway?
Gary M. Wilson, Esq.
5:56 pm on Saturday, March 23, 2013
"The Pointes are in a unique situation as it relates to being able to prosecute at the local level. They are the only cities in the state remaining with municipal courts. As a result, each city's attorney has prosecutorial power on misdemeanor cases."
NONSENSE.
EVERY municipality has a city or village or township attorney that has jurisdiction over misdemeanors. This has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that the Grosse Pointes have kept their municipal courts. Prosecution of misdemeanors is not "a possibility in all the Pointes"--it's a legal mandate!
Mr. Kennedy was either misquoted or he is blatantly pandering to make himself look more important than he already is: what do you suppose he and the other Pointes' City Attorneys have been charging for all these years? Litigating parking tickets?
Like the rest of the state that has local District Courts, we have Municipal Courts. By law they have, and always have had exclusive jurisdiction over....DRUM ROLL, PLEASE...... misdemeanors!!
George R. McMullen Jr.
8:34 pm on Saturday, March 23, 2013
As to my comment above.....Never mind
Todd
10:36 am on Monday, March 25, 2013
Political ping pong at its finest. Go check the murder conviction rates in Wayne Co. Then get back to me on how much this will really matter. Worthy and Ficano are not interested in protecting our families. They are interested in staying in their seats of unquestionable power while the city burns.
What an insult.