Blogs > The Law Blogger

The Law Blogger is a law-related blog that informs and discusses current matters of legal interest to readers of The Oakland Press and to consumers of legal services in the community. We hope readers will  find it entertaining but also informative. The Law Blogger does not, however, impart legal advice, as only attorneys are licensed to provide legal counsel.
For more information email: tflynn@clarkstonlegal.com

Monday, April 11, 2011

Collateral Consequences of a Guilty Plea

When an accused pleads guilty to a crime, the complexity of our modern legal system often leaves some of the significant consequences of the plea undetected.  After all, that's why you hired a lawyer in the first place, right?

These undetected consequences include quasi-criminal matters such as immigration as well as less obvious examples like disqualification from certain career paths or professional degrees; or affecting a client's parent-child relationship.

Recognizing this growing problem back in 2006, the State Bar of Michigan's Criminal Issues Initiative sought to educate criminal defense lawyers and the public by developing material useful to making a fully informed decision.

In addition, the SBM's website provides useful and current information for those either facing a criminal plea, or those attempting to recover from one.  The web site includes a checklist for clients to complete, the Michigan Re-entry Law Wiki link, and information about housing, immigration, employment, and child/parent issues.

Just recently, the SBM's Representative Assembly (the State Bar's elected governing body) passed a resolution to support legislation for the collection and notification of all collateral consequences involved with a criminal guilty plea.

Attorneys are challenged to keep-up with the multi-faceted and ever-expanding consequences of criminal convictions in our modern world.  When facing the prospect of a criminal guilty plea, even for a misdemeanor, be sure you hire a lawyer that knows about such consequences.

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3 Comments:

Anonymous John said...

Nice post. Thanks for the information.

April 12, 2011 at 7:12 AM 
Anonymous oliver said...

Your in trouble when theygive u a public defender to protect your interests.

April 12, 2011 at 4:23 PM 
Blogger The Law Blogger said...

Glad you guys liked the post. Oliver, many public defenders are very good. They do not get paid much; about $500 to $700 for pleas and just over a thousand dollars for a jury trial. It is not the kind of resource allocation that the Michigan politicians relish asking for, that for sure. Nevertheless, it remains a good way for attorneys to stay current with legal developments and judges in their county.

April 17, 2011 at 7:47 AM 

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