Michael Mittlestat and Jason Eggert, of Michigan’s State Appellate Defender Office (SADO), and Michigan Appellate Assigned Counsel System (MAACS) roster attorney Charles Covello will present argument before the Michigan Supreme Court on April 9 and 23. The cases to be argued present issues associated with the mental element required for certain crimes, prosecutorial misconduct and the Double Jeopardy Clause, and Offense Variable 19.
The cases are:
• People v Christopher Lehman Tadgerson
MSC No. 165678 (COA No. 360094)
SADO | Michael Mittlestat
The court directed the parties to address whether the “(1) whether the offense of being a prisoner in possession of a controlled substance (‘PPCS’), MCL 800.281(4), is a strict liability offense or should be construed as having a scienter requirement or mens rea element, see MCL 8.9; People v Ramsdell, 230 Mich App 386 (1998); People v Tombs, 472 Mich 446 (2005); and People v Magnant, 508 Mich 151 (2021); and (2) if PPCS is not a strict liability offense, then what form of scienter requirement or mens rea element applies.” The case is set for argument on April 9, at 11 a.m.
• People v Devante Kyran Jennings
MSC No. 165764 (COA No. 359837)
SADO | Jason Eggert
The court directed the parties to address “whether the Double Jeopardy Clauses of the United States Constitution, US Const, Am V, XIV, and the Michigan Constitution, Const 1963, art 1, § 15, barred the defendant’s retrial” and “(1) what standard the Court should apply to determine whether prosecutorial misconduct bars retrial under Michigan’s Double Jeopardy Clause, see, e.g., Oregon v Kennedy, 456 US 667, 676 (1982); Pool v Superior Court, 139 Ariz 98, 108-109 (1984); State v McClaugherty, 144 NM 483, 491 (2008); Commonwealth v Smith, 532 Pa 177, 186 (1992); People v Batts, 30 Cal 4th 660, 695-696 (Cal 2003); State v Rogan, 91 Hawai‘i 405, 423- 424 (1999); and (2) whether retrial was impermissible in this case.” The case is set for argument on April 9, at 11:30 a.m.
• People v Curtis Allen Morris
MSC No. 166566 (COA No. 364906)
MAACS | Charles Covello
The court directed the parties to address “whether the Branch Circuit Court properly assigned 25 points to Offense Variable 19, MCL 777.49(a).” The case is set for argument on April 23, at 10 a.m.
Case briefs and related materials are available at www.courts.michigan.gov/courts/supreme-court/schedule-of-oral-arguments.
The arguments can be watched online at www.courts.michigan.gov/court-livestream.
The cases are:
• People v Christopher Lehman Tadgerson
MSC No. 165678 (COA No. 360094)
SADO | Michael Mittlestat
The court directed the parties to address whether the “(1) whether the offense of being a prisoner in possession of a controlled substance (‘PPCS’), MCL 800.281(4), is a strict liability offense or should be construed as having a scienter requirement or mens rea element, see MCL 8.9; People v Ramsdell, 230 Mich App 386 (1998); People v Tombs, 472 Mich 446 (2005); and People v Magnant, 508 Mich 151 (2021); and (2) if PPCS is not a strict liability offense, then what form of scienter requirement or mens rea element applies.” The case is set for argument on April 9, at 11 a.m.
• People v Devante Kyran Jennings
MSC No. 165764 (COA No. 359837)
SADO | Jason Eggert
The court directed the parties to address “whether the Double Jeopardy Clauses of the United States Constitution, US Const, Am V, XIV, and the Michigan Constitution, Const 1963, art 1, § 15, barred the defendant’s retrial” and “(1) what standard the Court should apply to determine whether prosecutorial misconduct bars retrial under Michigan’s Double Jeopardy Clause, see, e.g., Oregon v Kennedy, 456 US 667, 676 (1982); Pool v Superior Court, 139 Ariz 98, 108-109 (1984); State v McClaugherty, 144 NM 483, 491 (2008); Commonwealth v Smith, 532 Pa 177, 186 (1992); People v Batts, 30 Cal 4th 660, 695-696 (Cal 2003); State v Rogan, 91 Hawai‘i 405, 423- 424 (1999); and (2) whether retrial was impermissible in this case.” The case is set for argument on April 9, at 11:30 a.m.
• People v Curtis Allen Morris
MSC No. 166566 (COA No. 364906)
MAACS | Charles Covello
The court directed the parties to address “whether the Branch Circuit Court properly assigned 25 points to Offense Variable 19, MCL 777.49(a).” The case is set for argument on April 23, at 10 a.m.
Case briefs and related materials are available at www.courts.michigan.gov/courts/supreme-court/schedule-of-oral-arguments.
The arguments can be watched online at www.courts.michigan.gov/court-livestream.
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