Michigan State Appellate Defender Office and Criminal Defense Resource Center

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Michigan Bar Journal Features Articles by SADO's Sofia Nelson and MAACS's Bradley Hall and Kathryn Swedlow

Michigan Bar Journal January 2019

The Michigan Bar Journal has recently published articles by SADO’s Sofia Nelson and MAACS’s Bradley Hall and Kathryn Swedlow. Sofia’s article, “Justice Delayed: What’s Next for Michigan’s Juvenile Lifers?”, recounts the legal background for the current resentencing of individuals who were sentenced to life without parole for crimes they committed as juveniles and recommends strategies for cases in which the prosecution is re-seeking a sentence of life without parole. Brad and Kathy’s article, “Ensuring Independence and Quality in a Managed Assigned Counsel System,” explores the history of MAACS and offers four lessons learned from that history to guide MAACS in aiding Michigan trial courts as they transition from traditional assignment systems to a system in which an independent entity regulates the assignment list and selects counsel for appointments. Congratulations to Sofia, Brad, and Kathy on the publication of their excellent articles. Read More

SADO Seeks Summer 2019 Interns

Applications Accepted on Rolling Basis through February 1, 2019

SADO is seeking first and second-year law students for fulltime summer 2019 internships to assist in representing indigent defendants seeking post-conviction relief (Detroit office) or juvenile lifers seeking resentencing (Detroit and Lansing offices). The SADO summer internship programs run from late May 2019 through early August 2019. The internships are unpaid, but SADO will assist in securing course credit or fellowship funding. Read More

Project Reentry Publishes Newsletter for Returning Citizens

The Drum: Articles, Stories, and Resources for the JLWOP Community

The December 2018 issue of The Drum is now available. The Drum is a publication, produced by SADO’s Project Reentry, featuring articles by and for former juvenile lifers returning to the community. The Drum also identifies a wide variety of resources for returning citizens, including financial budgeting, employment opportunities, and community tips. This month’s issue features an article with important facts to commemorate World Aids Day, a poem from Project Reentry intern Jose Hernandez, advice on combating the winter blues, and a farewell to six members of the Project Reentry team. Read More

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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.