In an issue that may surprise many, Washtenaw County has become one of the top areas of criminal charges in Michigan. The Democratic Community has seen criminal prosecutions on the rise in the last 4 years, and many new bills are aimed at Washtenaw County. To gain further insight, several of the top criminal lawyers in the county provided insight on this issue.
Scott Grabel is the founder of Grabel and Associates and has created the top criminal defense team throughout the state of Michigan. When asked about the influx of work in Washtenaw County, specifically the Ann Arbor, Michigan area, Grabel stated, “Washtenaw County presents one of the most desirable areas to live throughout the United States. With that said, there is little tolerance for criminal activity within the area. The cost of living is one of the highest in our state and with that comes many prosecutions. We have built a team that has gotten amazing results in Washtenaw County because we understand that criminal defense needs a different approach in each particular county.”
Leading Grabel’s team in Washtenaw County is William Amadeo who is a Senior Associate at the firm and a partner at Ann Arbor Legal PLLC in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Amadeo has quickly risen to arguably the top criminal defense lawyer in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area. When asked about some of the outcomes that he has obtained in Washtenaw County, Amadeo stated, “The key to success in Washtenaw County is to work a file like your life depends on it while still maintaining respect for the pressures of the prosecutor, the probation department and our judges. We have a lot of amazing legal minds in our community, and the main reason that I have had a level of success is that I’ve meant a lot of people that have been willing to teach me how things are done in their court. You cannot approach a case in Washtenaw County the same way that you do in Macomb or Lapeer County and if you cannot understand that your client will not obtain the best possible outcome.”
Trovious Starr is a young lawyer that has quickly made a name for himself and achieved tremendous results for his clients in Washtenaw County. When asked about his achievements in Washtenaw County, Starr said, “When I was an extern for Judge Cedric Simpson, we had a group of law students that all wanted to practice criminal law. The experience that we gained working in the court system is something that serves us daily. Learning the playbook of criminal law in Washtenaw County has taught me how to approach cases in a way that has benefitted my clients. What we learn in law school is very different from what happens in the courtroom, and I was lucky to have great legal minds teach me in the courtroom and the classroom.”
With prosecutions reaching an all-time high, Washtenaw County will continue to be an area of greater criminal exposure. When the crime rates increase, the criminal lawyer needs to improve and evolve. Washtenaw County is an area in transition, and as such, the criminal lawyer needs to explore all options to protect the constitutional rights of their client.