Attorney James S. Lawrence's Legal Cases

Criminal defense

People v Terry

Jan 22, 2015

OUTCOME: Not guilty verdict by jury.

Defendant was on trial for first degree murder based on DNA found under the dead woman's fingernail, and the Defendant's statement to police that he did not know the woman in the photo, but then later ... said maybe he did meet her. The prosecutor claimed that this was a killing during a breakin of her house. The jury accepted my argument that the prosecution experts could not identify this as Defendant's DNA, and also could not establish that the DNA got there during the killing. Also helpful was evidence that the victim had been a victim of domestic violence by her boyfriend. The jury was out less than an hour and came back not guilty, even though the judge refused to allow into evidence that the day before the body was found, she told someone she was afraid the boyfriend was going to kill her.

Criminal defense

People v Punter

Jan 01, 2011

OUTCOME: Criminal charge dismissed after def's statement excluded.

Defendant was charged with drunk driving, and unwisely made statements to the police. Case dismissed upon exclusion of statements to police under corpus delicti rule.

Constitutional

Baum v Wolfenbarger

Jan 01, 2010

OUTCOME: Parole revocation reversed, client released from prison.

Before I was in case, client was returned to prison on parole violation, held over a year without hearing. Got judge to order hearing. Prison found him not guilty of 8 charges, guilty of 1. Judge re ... versed the one finding of guilty on two different legal grounds, ordered that he be immediately released from prison.

Appeals

Satterlee v. Wolfenbarger, 453 F3d 362 (6th Cir. 2006)

Jan 01, 2006

OUTCOME: Habeas corpus granted, Defendant released from prison, all charges dismissed.

Defendant released from drug conviction upon finding of ineffective assistance of counsel relating to plea bargaining. Critically important to case was the cross-examination of the trial defense lawye ... r at the evidentiary hearing. The federal judge was convinced that the trial attorney was not truthful in his testimony. The judge at first gave only a limited remedy, but this improved to complete dismissal after the state failed to obey his first order.

Appeals

Abela v. Martin, 380 F3d 914 (6th Cir. 2004)

Jan 01, 2004

OUTCOME: Habeas corpus granted.

Defendant stabbed man in self defense while being attacked by mob, convicted of murder. Defendant won new trial on ruling excluding his statements, leading to complete exoneration.

Appeals

Matthews v Abramajtys, 319 F3d 780 (6th Cir. 2003)

Jan 01, 2003

OUTCOME: Habeas corpus granted, case dismissed.

Defendant convicted of first degree murder in state court. I took his case to federal court. The conviction was overturned, and the charges dismissed.

Federal crime

US v Peterson

Jan 01, 2003

OUTCOME: Not guilty.

Client charged in federal court with felon possessing firearm, for gun found under his bed. Jury accepted argument his wife possessed gun, not defendant. Important to the victory was our showing that ... the arresting officer's testimony was not entirely truthful in several respects, therefore his memory of a confession by the defendant could not be relied upon to fulfill proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

Criminal defense

People v Rader

Jan 01, 1996

OUTCOME: Not guilty.

Defendant charged with first degree murder based on testimony of former girlfriend, plus 2 people who claim Defendant confessed while in prison on another charge. Important to the not guilty verdict w ... as our claim that apart from the police officers and the doctor who did the autopsy, every single prosecution witness in the case lied, including the dead man's parents.

Criminal defense

People v Marshall

Jan 01, 1984

OUTCOME: Jury accepts claims of self-defense, finds defendant not guilty.

My very first trial. Defendant was a prison inmate accused of assault with intent to murder, where two other prisoners, suffering knife wounds, accused him of assaulting them with the knife. The jury ... believed my client's testimony, and other defense testimony, that showed that the two accusers had brought the knife to assault my client, but he had turned the tables on them while being attacked. Though my client did injure the two accusers with a knife, the jury agreed with our claims of self-defense.

James S. Lawrence's Legal Cases (9)

People v Terry

People v Punter

Baum v Wolfenbarger

Satterlee v. Wolfenbarger, 453 F3d 362 (6th Cir. 2006)

Abela v. Martin, 380 F3d 914 (6th Cir. 2004)

Matthews v Abramajtys, 319 F3d 780 (6th Cir. 2003)

US v Peterson

People v Rader

People v Marshall