Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
In a move that surprised very few, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended Michigan’s stay at home order through the end of April. She made the announcement Thursday, just four days before the original order was set to expire on Monday, April 13. With this order in place, many in the criminal law community are left with many questions. To gain insight into this issue, we spoke to three of the top criminal defense lawyers in our state.
Scott Grabel is the founder of Grabel and Associates, which is known as the top criminal defense firm in the state of Michigan. When asked about the extension of the stay at home order, Grabel said, “Safety of the community is the first concern for all involved. There is no question that our dockets are going to compromise, but we have no choice at the moment.”
William Amadeo is a partner at McManus and Amadeo and a Senior Associate for Grabel and Associates. Amadeo is known as the top criminal defense attorney in Washtenaw County and has one of the heaviest trial dockets in the state of Michigan. When asked about Governor Whitmer’s extension, Amadeo stated, “Most of my trials have been moved. I have one scheduled on May 26 in Washtenaw that is extremely personal to me, but we are in limbo. Across the board, both sides need to be reasonable right now, or our court system will be in severe danger.”
Nancy Eaton-Gordon is a partner at Jackson Eaton-Gordon and Associates in Arian, Michigan, and is known as one of the top criminal lawyers in Lenawee County, Michigan. When asked about the extension, Eaton-Gordon stated, “We are in difficult times. Resolutions are going to need to become a reality. If everything went to trial under normal circumstances, our courts would be in trouble. This is a chaotic time for us all. We will get through this, but it will be a bumpy road.”
While the stat at home order was extended until May 1, 2020, there is much discussion on another extension. COVID-19 is going to change lives forever, but with enough foresight, our court systems will get back on track in time.