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 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 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 Task Force launched in 2019 and consists of more than 55 different organizations in the public, private and nonprofit sectors - all working together to combat elder abuse.
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.
Michigan Identity Theft Support
Michigan Attorney General's robocall initiative is leading several efforts to protect Michigan residents from the billion plus robocalls made to them every year.
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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January 11, 2021
LANSING – In observance of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is recognizing the efforts of the state’s Human Trafficking Unit for its continuing fight to eradicate this terrible crime from the Great Lakes State.
The Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Unit was formed in 2011 and has 24 convictions under its belt. Since 2019 when Attorney General Nessel took office, prosecutors have charged five individuals with human trafficking crimes. Three have been charged by state officials, while two others were charged in coordination with county prosecutors.
Those charged by the Attorney General’s office include:
The unit has also partnered with the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office on two cases to charge two individuals with multiple felonies, including minor sex trafficking. Those cases are currently pending in Kalamazoo County. Part of the Unit’s mission is to provide officials with training on identifying and addressing human trafficking victims and crimes. Since 2019, the Unit has provided 23 presentations to provide human trafficking training to around 2,500 people in the legal, medical, law enforcement, transportation and victim services professions, as well as the general public.
“Every day new victims fall into this form of modern-day slavery – whether through prostitution, illegal labor or some other means – and my office is just a small piece of the opposition to this criminal underworld,” Nessel said. “The Michigan Human Trafficking Unit has provided training to hundreds of professionals and law enforcement personnel so that they can better identify and manage this continuing threat, and we remain vigorously engaged in prosecution efforts to hold these offenders accountable. This pervasive crime requires a concerted effort to manage, and I am committed to doing all that we can to protect our residents from becoming another human trafficking statistic.”
According to the most recent report from the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, in 2019 the National Human Trafficking Hotline received more than 300 reports of incidents of human trafficking in Michigan alone. Among those reports, the top three venues for labor trafficking were domestic work, traveling sales crews, and restaurants/food service. The top three venues for sex trafficking included illicit massage/spa businesses, residence-based commercial sex, and hotel/motel-based commercial sex.
In addition to the Human Trafficking Unit, the Michigan Department of Attorney General is the home of the 14-seat Michigan Human Trafficking Commission, created by the Legislature in 2015. Its members are appointed by the Governor to represent various groups and public officials.
Part of the Commission’s mission is to collect and analyze information regarding human trafficking in the state, as well as identify and coordinate opportunities to assist in human trafficking enforcement efforts, among other tasks.
The Commission also reviews existing state laws and administrative rules related to human trafficking, and in 2019 made a recommendation of roughly 30 human trafficking bills aimed at expanding training requirements for certain professionals, strengthening tools to hold traffickers accountable, expanding protections for victims of trafficking, and revising the criminal justice system’s approach to commercial sexual activity, otherwise known as prostitution. The bills were introduced in the Michigan Legislature in early 2020 shortly before COVID-19 struck Michigan, but did not receive final passage before the Legislature adjourned in December.
“My office remains committed to working with members of the Legislature, including new members of the House of Representatives, and I am confident that these bills will not only be reintroduced this session but also receive the attention they deserve,” Nessel said. “We are ready and willing to do anything possible to enact this legislation into law as we seek to further protect our residents from this terrible crime.”
Anyone who may have identified a victim of human trafficking, or who is a victim themselves, should contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 888-3737-888. All calls made to the national, toll-free hotline are confidential. Calls can be made from anywhere in the country, 24-hours a day, seven-days a week, every day of the year. Some indicators of possible trafficking include:
For more information on the Attorney General’s efforts to combat human trafficking and the Michigan Human Trafficking Commission, visit the department’s website.
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