DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit-area man who shed a life of crime and became a lawyer is grateful to a judge who ordered probation over prison.
“It seems surreal still,” Ed Martell told WDIV-TV. “It’s only been a few days and when clients call and say, ‘Can I talk to attorney Ed Martell?’ I have to pinch myself.”
In May, Martell was sworn in as a member of the State Bar of Michigan by Wayne County Judge Bruce Morrow.
Martell was 27 years old in 2005, a high school dropout with a criminal record. He appeared in Morrow's court facing possible prison time for delivery and manufacture of cocaine.
"I will never forget the challenge,” Martell recalled. “He said, ‘Mr. Martell, I dare you to be a The State Appellate Defender Office (SADO) will present “Through the Eyes of a Child: Miranda and Statement Suppression in Juvenile Court” with Amanda Powell online Tuesday, June 8, from 2 to 4 p.m. via Zoom.
The program will explore state and federal Constitutional, statutory, and rule-based interpretations of the Miranda doctrine and the impact of adolescent development on voluntariness of statements and capacity of
children to knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waive Miranda rights.
Powell is an attorney, trainer, and juvenile defense consultant to the National Juvenile Defender Center.
After graduating from Capital University Law School in 2003, Powell was with the Office of the Ohio Public Defender until 2016. While there, she supervised attorneys in the juvenile appeals section and litigated more than 120 appeals, including eight cases argued in the Supreme Court of Ohio, for children with juvenile delinquency adjudications or those transferred to adult court.
As a consultant, Powell has assisted with litigation strategies for youth in more than a third of states across the country, including authoring NJDC’s amicus brief in the Supreme Court of Missouri.
Powell has been a Certified JTIP Trainer for NJDC’s Juvenile Training Immersion Program since 2014 and has trained thousands of juvenile defenders in more than 750 training sessions in 30 states and the District of Columbia.
To register for the online program, visit www.sado.org and click on “Upcoming Events.” of a Fortune 500 company instead of selling drugs.’”
Martell got a GED, attended community college and got scholarships to University of Detroit Mercy and U-D Mercy's law school.
“I feel humbled and grateful that somebody gave me the opportunity,” Martell said. “Ultimately, I’m living proof that it can come to pass.”
Morrow recalled when Martell appeared in front of him.
“Underneath what I saw was a man needing my love,” the judge said.
Martell's turnaround was first reported in May by Deadline Detroit, a news website.
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