Attorney Laura Josephine Helderop's Legal Cases

Appeals

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

Dec 07, 2021

OUTCOME: Pending

An appeal challenging the procedural and substance unreasonableness of our client's sentence. He was 18 years old for only 33 days before being indicted by the federal government, and was ultimately se ... ntenced to over 14 years' incarceration. We asked the Court to reconsider a hold in a 1998 case and encourage district courts to be reluctant to sentence juvenile and young offenders the same as adults. I argued this case in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on December 7, 2021. (https://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/internet/court_audio/audSearchRes.php)

Appeals

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

Aug 26, 2021

OUTCOME: Appeal Granted

We appealed to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the district court's sentencing of our client alleging that the court miscalculated the sentencing guidelines. After filing our brief and a ... ppearing for oral argument, the Sixth Circuit unanimously granted our appeal, which resulted in a lower sentencing guideline range for our client. The Court's opinion was recommended for publication.

Criminal defense

Motion for Sentencing Modification

Jun 25, 2020

OUTCOME: Granted

In a case where my client was sentenced to serve 300 days in Newaygo County Jail followed by a year of probation, I successfully argued for her early release, after she served only half of her jail ter ... m, from county jail so that she could enter a in-patient rehabilitation program, and to avoid contracting COVID-19. The judge in our case granted my motion, and my client was released from the county jail that same day.

Federal crime

Early Termination of Supervised Release

Jan 06, 2020

OUTCOME: Granted

My client hired me to file a motion in federal court in the United States Western District of Michigan requesting that her supervised release term be completed. My client was convicted of stealing mone ... y from the United States under 18 U.S.C. § 641, and was sentence to a term of incarceration followed by a two-year term of supervised release. After she completed one year of supervised release, we asked the court to terminate her supervised release early. The Court granted our motion despite my client having one violation early in her term of supervised release.

Child abuse

Child Abuse 4th Degree

Mar 26, 2019

OUTCOME: Dismissal

My client was charged in Ottawa County with Child Abuse in the 4th degree for allegedly abusing her 12-year-old son. She had no criminal history, was a single mother of six, and had stable employment. ... My client adamantly denied ever abusing her son, and I believed her. We decided to fight the charges and go to trial. In preparation for trial, I filed a Motion in Limine asking the court to exclude certain evidence that the prosecution intended to introduce during trial. Due to my Motion in Limine and relentless negotiations with the prosecution, the case was dismissed in its entirety against my client just two days before trial.

Laura Josephine Helderop's Legal Cases (5)

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

Motion for Sentencing Modification

Early Termination of Supervised Release

Child Abuse 4th Degree