Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
The law firm of Grabel and Associates won another landmark case when prosecutors dismissed sexual assault charges against a former Michigan State Police trooper Brian Alexander after the Michigan Supreme Court ordered a new trial on the matter.
Scott Grabel of Grabel and Associates led the defense team in a battle that lasted over 2 years. Grabel stated, “While it took a long time, I’m glad the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office did the right thing and dismissed the charges. We had to go to the Michigan Supreme Court to fight for Mr. Alexander and there is no doubt in my mind that the man is 100% innocent.”
Brian Alexander was 33 years of age when he was convicted on four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct after a 2015 trial in Ingham County Circuit Court. A judge later vacated that decision and the case then went through the Michigan Appellate Court system. Alexander was awaiting a second trial when the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the charges on Sept. 25.
“The tough thing right now is for Brian to be able to get on with his life. The erroneous conviction has barred him from working in law enforcement. Brian is now considering trying to get a job back with the Michigan State Police and quite frankly, he deserves to be back in a position of protecting our citizens as opposed to dealing with false accusations. We can only hope that the right thing is done so that Brian can be allowed to serve on the force again, should he choose to.”
While Alexander has dealt with a tremendous amount of adversity the last few years, this case was one that most deemed unwinnable. Hendricks Larkey, a law professor provided commentary on the matter. Larkey stated, “When you have a case such as this there is a presumption of guilt before being proven innocent. While this is not what is supposed to happen, that is the way the cards are dealt. Scott Grabel’s never-say-die attitude truly won the day.”
While the right thing was finally done, the story of Brian Alexander will take on a new chapter and if there is any justice, it will be one where he will be doing what he does best once again. The law firm of Grabel and Associates put on a display showing they are the best in the state to protect of the state’s best officers. Where this story ends is filled with uncertainty but Grabel and his team certainly came through in the most dire of situations.
William Amadeo is a partner at the law firm Ann Arbor Legal in Ann Arbor, Michigan and an Associate Attorney at Grabel and Associates. Amadeo is also a journalist for “The Chronicle News” and runs BAT Tutoring in Lansing, Michigan. He can be reached at Amadeo@McManuspllc.com.