The Michigan Department of Attorney General utilizes the services of Special Assistant Attorneys General from time to time when the unique circumstances of a particular case create the need for specialized services not currently available within the department.
The Michigan Attorney General has determined that a full and complete investigation of what happened within the Catholic Church is required. This investigation is and will continue to be independent, thorough, transparent, and prompt. My department and this investigation will find out who knew what, and when.
The Conviction Integrity Unit (the “CIU”) investigates claims of innocence to determine whether there is clear and convincing new evidence that the convicted defendant was not the person who committed the offense.
In Michigan, a victim is an individual who suffers direct or threatened physical, financial, or emotional harm as a result of the commission of a crime.
The laws regarding expungement of criminal offenses in Michigan changed in major ways in April of 2021. This page is designed to help applicants navigate their way through the new laws, help them determine if they are eligible to have convictions expunged, to answer frequently asked questions about the new laws, and to provide links for resources and assistance.
To investigate and prosecute hate crimes by following up on every credible tip and offer departmental resources to assist local and federal law enforcement partners in this effort.
The Michigan Attorney General is leading the fight against this horrific crime by prosecuting the state's first-ever criminal cases under state law banning human trafficking in Michigan. Victims of human trafficking are in bondage through force, fraud or coercion, for the purpose of sex or labor exploitation.
Knowing how to guard your personal information is your first line of defense against identity theft.
Michigan Attorney General's robocall initiative is leading several efforts to protect Michigan residents from the billion plus robocalls made to them every year.
Michigan's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231 et seq, provides that requesters can receive copies or make inspections of most public records of public bodies upon written request.
The Open Meetings Act (OMA) took effect January 1, 1977. In enacting the OMA, the Legislature promoted a new era in governmental accountability and fostered openness in government to enhance responsible decision making.1 Nothing in the OMA prohibits a public body from adopting an ordinance, resolution, rule, or charter provision that requires a greater degree of openness relative to public body meetings than the standards provided for in the OMA. 2
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October 17, 2019
LANSING – The Michigan Department of Attorney General and Western Michigan University Cooley Law School have teamed up to receive two federal grants totaling more than $1 million to assist in reviewing 600 post-conviction claims of innocence. The announcement comes six months after Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel launched one of the nation’s first statewide conviction integrity units (CIU) to ensure no one continues to be incarcerated for a crime they did not actually commit.
The Michigan Department of Attorney General received $734,930 from the Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence grant and WMU-Cooley Law School received $274,960 from the Upholding the Rule of Law grant. The grants support reviewing criminal convictions, improving the integrity of the criminal justice system, and ensuring the consistent application of due process of law.
“We have a responsibility to ensure those convicted of state crimes by county prosecutors and our office are in fact guilty of those crimes,” Nessel said. “These grants not only provide our office with the financial resources needed to review these cases, but they will also ensure a rigorous and detailed evaluation that keeps dangerous offenders out of Michigan communities, while providing justice to those wrongfully convicted.”
As part of the grants’ requirements, the Attorney General’s Conviction Integrity Unit – led by former criminal defense attorney and now Assistant Attorney General Robyn Frankel – and the WMU-Cooley Law School Innocence Project will work jointly to review credible claims of innocence to determine whether outdated or unreliable forensic practices played a role in a conviction. The grants will cover the cost of case reviews, evidence location, testing or retesting of evidence, the application of new forensic tools, and the hiring of additional staff.
To date, the Attorney General’s CIU has received more than 500 requests for assistance. The WMU-Cooley Innocence Project currently has approximately 175 cases under review which may meet grant criteria.
Since its inception in 2001, the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project has screened more than 5,800 cases and will bring its years of experience in case review to the collaboration.
WMU-Cooley Innocence Project Director Marla Mitchell-Cichon welcomes the partnership. “We look forward to working with the Attorney General’s Conviction Integrity Unit. Both offices have the same goals – to rectify wrongful convictions and to improve Michigan’s criminal justice system.” said Mitchell-Cichon.
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Learn more about the funding:
Learn more about the Michigan Attorney General’s Conviction Integrity Unit.
Learn more about the WMU-Cooley Law School Innocence Project.
About Western Michigan University Cooley Law School: WMU-Cooley Law School resulted from the 2014 affiliation that combined WMU's status as a nationally-ranked, public, comprehensive research university with the commitment to practical legal education of an independent, non-profit, national law school. WMU-Cooley is accredited by both the American Bar Association and the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Since the law school's founding in 1972, WMU-Cooley has provided more than 20,000 graduates with the practical skills necessary for a seamless transition from academia to the real world. WMU-Cooley enrolls classes year-round at its Michigan and Florida campuses. Western and WMU-Cooley Law School operate as independent institutions with their own governance structure and separate fiduciary responsibilities.
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