Federal Criminal Defense — Bond
When a person is arrested and charged with a federal crime, it is important to hire the best federal criminal defense lawyer you can find. Hiring the best federal lawyer can make the difference between being stuck in jail during the pendency of the case, or being allowed bond. When a person is arrested, judicial officers (a judge or magistrate) […]
Exonerations in 2014
In the past year, stories of criminal exonerations were scattered throughout the news media and became a hot topic. This is because of the shockingly high number of exonerations that took place in the United States. In 2014 alone, there were 125 exonerations based on DNA and non-DNA, as compared to 2013 in which there […]
Brian Williams — a Victim of a False Memory
Within the past few weeks, NBC news anchor Brian Williams has been in the spotlight of media attention, not because of his anchoring skills, but because of a story he told about himself. In 2003, Williams was in Iraq and riding in a helicopter when the helicopter in front of the one in which he […]
Washtenaw County Sentences Man to 15 Years for Child Abuse
This month, a 20-year-old Ypsilanti man was sentenced to life in prison for killing his four-month-old daughter in October of 2013. The murder of the young child stemmed from child abuse. In addition to the murder charge, he was also charged with first-degree child abuse. In Michigan, first-degree child abuse entails knowingly or intentionally causing […]
Macomb County Man to be Sentenced for CSC
In July of 2013, new light was shed on Michigan Rule of Evidence 804 by an opinion released by the Michigan Supreme Court. InPeople v. Stanley Duncan and Vita Duncan, a case dealing with allegations of the sexual assault of two children at an unlicensed daycare, the Court ruled that a child witness might be […]
Monroe County Woman Makes False Allegation
An 18 year-old woman from Monroe County is now facing a possible charge of filing a false police report after she falsely claimed she was abducted in Bedford Township on August 7, 2014. Hayley Turner, was first reported to have been abducted while heading home from a Monroe County video store on August 7, 2014. […]
Michigan First Degree Child Abuse
In Michigan, child abuse is classified into four different degrees, in accordance with MCL 750.136b. First degree child abuse is the most serious of the four different degrees. Michigan law states that, “a person is guilty of child abuse in the first-degree if the person knowingly or intentionally causes serious physical or serious mental harm […]
Attorneys from The Law Offices of Shannon M. Smith, P.C. to Attend National Child Abuse Defense Conference in Las Vegas in October
Comment 6 to Rule 1.1 of the Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct (MRPC) provides that: “To maintain the requisite knowledge and skill, a lawyer should engage in continuing study and education.” Although CLE participation is not a mandatory requirement in Michigan, The Law Offices of Shannon M. Smith, P.C. believes that CLE participation and study […]
Termination of Parental Rights Cases by CPS in Michigan
Facing allegations of child abuse from Child Protective Services, commonly referred to as CPS, is always a difficult time for families. When the accused believes the allegations are false or exaggerated, this is especially true and it is very difficult for many people to maintain a good attitude about having to answer to CPS. In […]
Shaken Baby Syndrome
Many allegations of serious child abuse can include a diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome (SBS), or abusive head trauma (AHT). SBS is often diagnosed on the basis of three key symptoms known as the “triad”: retinal hemorrhages, brain bleeding (hematomas), and brain swelling. Many times, the presence of these three symptoms (or even just one […]