Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
A special prosecutor will decide if a former jail administrator will face criminal charges related to inappropriate conduct alleged between him and inmates. These accusations first came to light when several corrections officers approached a newly named Undersheriff and told him about the jail administrator’s alleged activity. The case was previously sent to the Michigan State Police to be reviewed and investigated. The Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan petitions for a special prosecutor when they may be a conflict of interest with the local prosecutor in a given case. A special prosecutor in this case has yet to be named.
Original Case Details
This Jail administrator served the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Department for decades in various roles was forced to resign in April of 2019 following allegations of inappropriate conduct with past inmates. An investigation found lewd text messages and photos of former and current inmates on the jail administrator’s phone. He has also been accused of delivering coffee and lunches to a former inmate while he was on duty and in uniform. Another accusation has the jail administrator taking a former inmate on a trip to Lansing, calling it a work trip, and subsequently charging their hotel room to the Sheriff’s department. These accusations are among many that this administrator is facing. He is facing potential charges of criminal sexual conduct and embezzlement for his alleged actions.
Special Prosecutor’s Role
A special prosecutor is a lawyer who is appointed to investigate and potentially prosecute an individual case of criminal activity when there appears to be some sort of conflict of interest with the prosecutor that would typically handle the case. In most cases, a special prosecutor will be a prosecutor from a neighboring jurisdiction. It is important that the prosecutor is close enough geographically that it is possible to conduct a proper investigation regarding the case at hand. This special prosecutor will handle the case from start to finish unless there is some sort of alleged conflict with them being in the role of prosecutor for the case.
What Happens Next?
It seems as if the naming of a special prosecutor is simply a formality at this point in the current case. The likelihood of charges being filed lies with the prosecutor who has to make sure that his alleged victims will continue to press forward and not shy away from the high-profile nature of this case. Victims in cases like this do not want to be named and while the prosecutor won’t publicly name the victims, it does not guarantee that their names will be made public somehow. Depending on the allegations made and if there were any injuries sustained from sexual assaults, the jail administrator could be facing up to life in jail for a criminal sexual conduct conviction if it is a first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge. The jail administrator also faces potential fines and restitution from a conviction of embezzlement. He will otherwise go through the same system and procedure that anyone else would facing similar charges. Special accommodations are simply being made in order to prevent any conflict of interest claims since it would be fair and obvious to assume that the jail administrator at least personally knew the county prosecutor that would typically handle this case, as well as other prosecutors within the same office.
Any Further Questions?
If you or a loved one has been charged with a crime or are being investigated for one, then it is important to speak to an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately. At Grabel & Associates, our attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience in successfully defending criminal cases all over the state of Michigan. This experience extends not only to adult cases, but also to juvenile charges. We are not a general practice firm. We are a team of criminal defense attorneys; it’s all we do. We offer a FREE consultation to anyone with questions relating to a possible or existing criminal charge against them or a loved one. Feel free to contact us on our 24/7 defense line at 1-800-342-7896. You can also contact us online or come visit us at one of our three statewide locations. We can also come to you.