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.
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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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July 03, 2025
LANSING – A twice-sunken Lake Michigan barge that raised environmental concerns has now been relocated to a legal location, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. The barge’s owner, Donald Lewis Balcom, 90, of Traverse City, pled guilty last April in the 13th Circuit Court in Leelanau County to one count of Water Resources Protection Violation for Discharge of Injurious Substances to Waters of the State, a two-year felony. The charge stemmed from a November of 2020 incident, when the barge sank and released oil into Lake Michigan.
Under a deferred sentencing agreement, Balcom was given until June 27, 2025, to relocate the barge to a legal location, which would convert his felony conviction to one count of Watercraft Pollution – Littering from Vessel, a 92-day misdemeanor. On Monday, June 23, 2025, the barge was moved to a legal location in West Grand Traverse Bay. Over the past week, the barge has been partially dismantled and is no longer on state-owned Lake Michigan bottomlands.
“After years of environmental concerns and legal proceedings, I am pleased the barge has finally been moved and to announce the resolution of this case,” Nessel said. “We have made it abundantly clear that the bay cannot be treated as a personal junkyard. My department remains committed to working with the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to protect the Great Lakes whenever they come under threat.”
In 2023, the Attorney General issued seven criminal charges against Balcom following years of efforts by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to work with Balcom toward a resolution of the issue of the sunken industrial barge and contamination of Grand Traverse Bay on the northwestern coast of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The barge was moved to a legal location, entitling Balcom to the reduced sentence. The Court has yet to issue an amended judgment of sentence.
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