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SADO Wins United States Supreme Court Case

Court Makes Clear the Right to Effective Assistance of Counsel Includes Plea Negotiations

On Wednesday March 21, 2012, the United States Supreme Court released the decision in Lafler v Cooper, finding that habeas relief was warranted due to ineffective assistance of counsel during the plea bargaining stage of the proceedings.  Lafler was argued by SADO Assistant Defender Valerie Newman on October 31, 2011, with Assistant Defender Jacqueline McCann serving as second chair.  You can listen to the argument on the Oyez Project's website.  The decisions in Lafler, and the related case of Missouri v Frye, are being hailed as "the single greatest revolution in the criminal justice process since provided indigents the right to counsel" - a quote from coverage in the New York Times, and expands the defendant's rights in plea deals, as described in the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and The National Law Journal.  The rulings will have a "huge, immediate impact" on guilty plea cases according to CNN. Details


SADO Launches "Community" Pages

SADO is pleased to announce that our Community Pages are now active and will serve as a tremendous resource and statewide guide for local information in every county in Michigan.  Each circuit page contains address and map information, training events, local attorneys, and more, with much of the information populated by our subscribers themselves.  Criminal Defense Attorneys have the ability to create a complete resume and offer up-to-date information about upcoming trials, mentoring opportunities and more.  Details


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This project was funded by the Byrne JAG grant #2010-DJ-BX-0003, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and administered by the Michigan state Police (MSP). Points of view or opinions contained within this document do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the MSP or DOJ.