Dana's Dispatch: Expungement Assistance Programs, Prosecuting Animal Abuse, Defending Reproductive Freedom & More!

--------------------------------------------------------------- Expungement clinic offers participants second chance at life As the People's Lawyer, I'm traveling the state to help eligible residents get a fresh start on life, improve their earning potential, and stay crime-free. Watch this video to find our how you can get your record expunged: Residents got a chance at a clean slate thanks to an expungement assistance initiative. “It’s really important that we recognize that people make changes in their life and they’re trying to do better,” said Shanell Boos, from Peer 360 Recovery Alliance. People looking for a second chance in life gathered at United Methodist Church for the Saginaw Expungement Clinic. “A lot of people get into troubled times in their lives, a lot of people make mistakes, but then it follows them the rest of their life,” said Attorney General Dana Nessel. Nessel said having a criminal record holds people back who are trying to do better for themselves, affecting their ability to get good jobs, an education, and housing even if they have been crime free for years. “What we know is this for people who are able to get their convictions expunged within one year’s time, their income is likely to increase by 22 percent. And that’s just the first year. And not only that, but it helps bring down crime because people who get their convictions expires are far less likely ever to be involved in criminal conduct again,” Nessel said. Lawyers were on hand to help people find out if they were eligible to have their records expunged and fill out the paperwork if they were. “We have about a million people in the state of Michigan that are now currently eligible to get their convictions cleared. We want to help as many people as possible and get them you know, on the road to a place where you know they’re gonna be able to provide for themselves and their families and not get into trouble anymore,” Nessel said. [READ MORE]( Rayvin Bleu & Anna Kathman, WNEM (October 9, 2022) Expungement clinic offers participants second chance at life Retrieved from: [Expungement clinic offers participants second chance at life]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Nessel partners with Michigan Humane in animal abuse investigation Not only is animal abuse cruel & sadistic, but it's also often associated with other serious criminal activity. I'm proud to partner with Michigan Humane to prosecute these offenders & protect vulnerable animals like Oliver (the kitty) & Tucker (the pup). Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined Michigan Humane in efforts to crack down on animal abuse in the Detroit area. Together, they announced charges have been filed against a 52-year-old River Rouge man for allegedly operating a dog fighting ring. They say he submitted photos and videos depicting dog fights to social media and engaged in discussions related to the breeding and selling of dogs for the ring. The state says he faces three counts of animal fighting and one count of possessing fighting animals and/or equipment. “I know most Michiganders think of their pets as family members and subjecting those family members to abuse is incomprehensible,” says Nessel. “Animal abuse is cruel and sadistic. It is also a crime that is often associated with other serious criminal activity, including domestic violence, illegal possession of firearms, illegal gambling, drug possession and large-scale animal abuse and fighting rings. I am proud to partner with Michigan Humane to prosecute these offenders.” Nessel’s office says she and Michigan Humane previously joined forces to warn Michiganders of puppy scams following reports during the COVID-19 pandemic. [READ MORE]( Fox 17, Fox 17 (October 13, 2022) Nessel partners with Michigan Humane in animal abuse investigation Retrieved from: [Nessel partners with Michigan Humane in animal abuse investigation]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Dana Nessel talks about her record as attorney general As the People's Lawyer, I've worked hard to make sure that each & every person receives equal protection under the law — providing effective consumer protection against price-gougers & putting sexual offenders behind bars. Vote #TeamDana this fall to keep Michigan moving forward! In this upcoming election Attorney General Dana Nessel is campaigning to secure her place in office. The person looking to take her seat is Republican challenger Matthew DePerno. “I think I’ve been an incredibly effective attorney general when it comes to protecting the public,” she said. She says this includes the investigations into clergy abuse and the Boy Scouts of America, protecting people against price gouging as well as taking sexual offenders off the street. She says her office secured a record settlement of more than $800 million from opioid manufacturers and distributors to treat people who are suffering from addiction. If reelected, Nessel says she wants to keep protecting women’s rights, and to crack down on domestic terrorism and hate crimes. “Instead of having mass homicides in our churches, at our Fourth of July parades, and our grocery stores, we have people instead who are sitting in the Michigan Department of Corrections,” she said. “We’ve worked hard to make sure that each and every person receives equal protection under the law and that includes women right now,” Nessel said. She says women and their physicians can be prosecuted potentially for a medical procedure that’s been legal in the state for nearly 50 years. “That’s not right. I’m not going to be putting women or doctors or nurses into jails and prison for what is sometimes a lifesaving medical procedure. I certainly won’t do it and I don’t think people in this state should stand for that,” she said. [READ MORE]( Kiyerra Lake, WLNS (October 13, 2022) Dana Nessel talks about her record as attorney general Retrieved from: [Dana Nessel talks about her record as attorney general]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Saginaw Co. woman charged for allegedly stealing from a vulnerable adult My department's Elder Abuse Task Force will hold accountable those who take advantage of our state's vulnerable adults. A Saginaw County woman was charged Monday for allegedly stealing from a vulnerable adult. In 2018, Cork became her mother's guardian and caretaker after her mother suffered multiple strokes and could not care for herself. Cork is alleged to spend about $1.1 million of her mother's money over a 12-month period. This included $228,817 Cork spent and did not probate in court and $664,872 for the purchase of a condo in Florida, which Cork did not have the authorization. Cork is alleged to cheat her mother's estate of the $664,872, as her plan was to inherit the condo in her mother's estate without having to go through probate court. “A person who takes advantage of a vulnerable person is deplorable,” said Nessel. “A person who commits these types of crimes will be prosecuted and held accountable.” A probable cause conference was held on September 26, 2022, and a preliminary examination will be scheduled soon, according to the Department of Attorney General. [READ MORE]( Mid-Michigan Now Newsroom, Mid-Michigan Now (October 10, 2022) Saginaw Co. woman charged for allegedly stealing from a vulnerable adult Retrieved from: [Saginaw Co. woman charged for allegedly stealing from a vulnerable adult]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Will your vote count in 2024? It depends who wins Michigan in 2022. Will your vote count in 2024 if Tudor Dixon, Matt DePerno and Kristina Karamo are elected Governor, Attorney General & Secretary of State in MI this year? Only if you vote for the candidate THEY think should win. That’s why they are running to begin with. The truth is, democracy is on the ballot on Nov. 8. In Michigan, the GOP nominees running for the state’s top three offices — Tudor Dixon for governor, Matt DePerno for attorney general and Kristina Karamo for secretary of state — all deny the results of the 2020 presidential election that former President Donald Trump lost. While asking candidates who won the 2020 election is important just to determine their trustworthiness and basic grip on reality, it raises a bigger issue: What would they do with the enormous power they’d have in office over future elections? The disturbing answer is that these Republicans won’t commit to accepting the results of this or future elections (if their party loses). No, this isn’t just where partisan politics is today. Their three Democratic opponents — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson — have said they will accept this and future election results. In Michigan, Republicans have done everything in their power to stop voters from weighing in on two measures for voting and abortion rights. Promote the Vote, or Proposal 2, would expand voting rights that have been under attack since the 2020 election. Reproductive Freedom for All (RFFA), or Proposal 3, would enshrine Michiganders’ right to make and carry out decisions relating to pregnancy, including abortion, birth control, prenatal care and childbirth in the Constitution and wipe out the state’s 1931 abortion ban law. Both proposals collected thousands more signatures than were required to get on the ballot — RFFA broke the state record — and have shown solid support in polling. Faced with the terrifying prospect that voters might decide to protect their basic rights, right-wing groups weren’t having it. They challenged the petitions and convinced the Republicans on a state elections board to boot the proposals from the ballot. The Michigan Supreme Court had to step in at the last minute just to ensure that voters would have their say on Nov. 8. A lot of folks find political parties annoying, at best, and think straight-ticket voting seems like a knee-jerk idea. But we’re living in a time when there’s only one party that’s committed to upholding democracy. [READ MORE]( Susan J. Demas, Michigan Advance (October 11, 2022) Will your vote count in 2024? It depends who wins Michigan in 2022. Retrieved from: [Will your vote count in 2024? It depends who wins Michigan in 2022.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Ex-Wayne priest found guilty of sex assault of 7-year-old boy This is the 7th straight conviction of those charged in my department's clergy abuse investigation — more than any other state in the nation. We're relentlessly pursuing long overdue justice for sexual assault survivors. And we’re not done yet. A jury on Thursday found a former priest at St. Mary Parish in Wayne guilty of sexually assaulting a 7-year-old boy in 2004. The Michigan Attorney General’s office’s attorneys asserted in the case against the Rev. Joseph "Jack" Baker that in 2004 Baker assaulted the child at the school in the church. He will be sentenced on a charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, which means he is likely to receive less than 10 years in prison at a minimum, according to the Attorney General's office. The Michigan Attorney General’s office has charged a total 11 clergy members in its state investigation into abuse within the Catholic church. Nessel's office seized 1.5 million paper documents and 3.5 million electronic documents through search warrants executed in October 2018 as part of its clergy abuse investigation. Baker is the seventh individual to be convicted of charges pertaining to abuse. “I want victims of abuse to know they have an advocate in the Attorney General’s office,” said Attorney General Dana Nessel. “We are committed to ensuring that every case of sexual abuse and assault is thoroughly reviewed and that whenever we are able to pursue justice for a victim, we do so aggressively and relentlessly. We must all commit to breaking down the walls of silence that so often surround sexual assault and abuse. Today’s verdict is long-awaited justice.” Victims of childhood sexual abuse often don’t come forward or even realize they’ve been abused until years later, Hagaman-Clark said, referencing previous testimony from an expert in child abuse pediatrics from the University of Michigan. The charge stemmed from a tip from the Archdiocese of Detroit, which received the original report and reported it to the lead prosecutor on Nessel’s clergy abuse team. [READ MORE]( Anna Liz Nichols, Detroit News (October 14, 2022) Ex-Wayne priest found guilty of sex assault of 7-year-old boy Retrieved from: [Ex-Wayne priest found guilty of sex assault of 7-year-old boy]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Matt DePerno Sought to Foreclose on His Clients’ Property. Now He Wants to Be Michigan’s Top Lawyer. Republican AG nominee Matt DePerno is so ethically compromised that, If he wins, he may be stripped of his law license before even taking office. If this is how he treats his clients in private practice, how will he act as the lawyer for all of Michigan? If Matthew DePerno wins his race to unseat Michigan’s Democratic attorney general in November, he’ll become the state’s top lawyer. He will have a staff of more than 500 people, and his duties will include everything from investigating voter fraud to “protecting consumers and addressing illegal business practices.” But as a practicing attorney, DePerno—a vocal conspiracy theorist and election denier—has been accused of improper behavior in court documents filed by clients, a law firm he hired, and even the current AG. And a Mother Jones examination of years of legal filings involving DePerno suggests that he has routinely engaged in aggressive tactics to collect legal fees, while sometimes leaving his clients dissatisfied with the quality of his legal representation. A lawsuit DePerno filed seeking to audit the 2020 results in Antrim County, Michigan, caught the eye of Donald Trump, who eventually endorsed DePerno in the primary. Voter fraud is one of just five topics listed in his campaign website’s issue page. He has promised to “prosecute the people who corrupted the 2020 election and allowed fraud to permeate the entire election system”—including Michigan’s Democratic secretary of state. Even before the 2020 election crisis, however, DePerno’s legal work had generated controversy. According to the New York Times, Michigan’s Attorney Grievance Commission has received at least five requests to investigate DePerno’s actions. As a practicing tax attorney, Deperno has had a number of legal disputes with his own clients and other attorneys, and he’s faced complaints about his aggressive billing practices. One of the clients also alleged in a sworn affidavit that DePerno had grabbed him by the shirt. DePerno did not respond to questions from Mother Jones. [READ MORE]( Emma Rindlisbacher, Mother Jones (October 12, 2022) Matt DePerno Sought to Foreclose on His Clients’ Property. Now He Wants to Be Michigan’s Top Lawyer. Retrieved: [Matt DePerno Sought to Foreclose on His Clients’ Property. Now He Wants to Be Michigan’s Top Lawyer.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Why the Michigan Attorney General Race Could Mean Everything for Abortion Access Going Forward Matt DePerno has vowed to prosecute abortion in every instance with NO EXCEPTIONS, not even to save the life of the mother, & said he plans to ban Plan B "like fentanyl." DePerno has no regard for the rights of women. He is far too extreme for Michigan. Attitudes about abortion bans and restrictions fall predictably along candidates’ party lines, although recent polling reveals broad support for choice among everyday Michiganders. Still, the abortion-access situation there is best summed up as technically legal but certainly at risk. Until this fall, the state had a 1931 law on the books that banned abortion outright, with a narrow exception for saving the life of the mother. Although dormant for decades, it would have allowed prosecutors to charge physicians who performed abortion care with a felony. Last spring, Michigan Court of Appeals Chief Judge Elizabeth Gleicher signed a temporary injunction that prevented the law’s enforcement, which, as of September, has become permanent. And there’s more good news: On November 8, voters have the opportunity to enshrine abortion access (as in, make it permanent permanent) into the state constitution via Proposition 3. Even if Prop 3 passes, plenty of details will still need to be sorted out in the legislature, which is where the crucial role of the state attorney general comes in. Prior to the 1931 law being struck down, incumbent Democrat (and LGBTQ+ legal pioneer) Dana Nessel—who has been Michigan’s AG since 2019—went on record saying she would not enforce the law, which she characterized as “draconian,” while her Trump-backed opponent Matthew DePerno said he would fully support abortion bans and intends to prosecute anyone who defies them. So, yes, while the state attorney general race might not be the sexiest, it’s critically important that the position is held for another four years by someone who’s committed to preserving reproductive freedoms across Michigan. Not to mention…AGs are gonna be busy this year because the flawed logic behind the repeal of Roe makes other rights—like marriage equality, contraception, and even interracial marriage—more vulnerable too. Let’s go blue. [READ MORE]( Elizabeth Kiefer, Cosmopolitan (October 12, 2022) Why the Michigan Attorney General Race Could Mean Everything for Abortion Access Going Forward Retrieved from: [Why the Michigan Attorney General Race Could Mean Everything for Abortion Access Going Forward]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Attorney General gives fraud prevention presentation to senior center Thanks to the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act, seniors' savings are better protected from scammers than ever before. Remember: if you believe you've been contacted by a scammer, there is always time to check their credentials with my department. Photo courtesy of Ben Gagnon, The Davison Index Last Friday, the senior center hosted a fraud prevention presentation given by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who shared information about prevalent scams and how the state is working to protect seniors from falling prey to fraud and abuse. Nessel told audience members to watch out for common cons like the “Consumers Energy” scam, in which scammers will pose as representatives from Consumers Energy and tell a homeowner that their power is about to be shut off unless they pay over the phone right away and give out their credit card and/or bank account information. “Scammers often want information so they can steal your identity to take out a loan or to buy a car or house in your name,” she said. “If there’s a sense of urgency to it, it’s likely a scam.” In addition to fraud cases, Nessel said that her department is handling an increasing number of elder abuse cases where court assigned guardians are taking advantage of senior citizen wards. She said that the state’s Elder Abuse Task Force, which was formed in tandem with the Michigan Supreme Court, is evaluating laws pertaining to legal guardianship and supplying law enforcement with training to identify elder abuse cases. Nessel also referenced the recently passed Financial Exploitation Prevention Act, a Michigan law that requires bank employees to pay close attention to accounts owned by senior citizens and monitor them for suspicious activity. Nessel encouraged seniors to not be ashamed of asking family members and friends for help if they’ve been scammed or have been contacted by a scammer. She also urged them to contact the Attorney General’s Office and local law enforcement to report fraud. For more information on reporting an incident of fraud or elder abuse to the Attorney General’s Office, visit Michigan.gov/ag. The Genesee County Sheriff’s 24/7 Elder Abuse hotline can also be reached at 810-257-3422. [READ MORE]( Ben Gagnon, The Davison Index (October 13, 2022) Attorney General gives fraud prevention presentation to senior center Retrieved from: [Attorney General gives fraud prevention presentation to senior center]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Michigan GOP statewide candidates stick to far-right message My opponent Matt DePerno is too extreme for Michigan. His out-of-touch views will endanger us all. #VoteBlueForSoManyReasons With voting underway in Michigan’s general election, the Republican nominee for secretary of state stepped on stage as a warm-up act for former President Donald Trump and hit hard on the main theme of her campaign. Kristina Karamo repeated unfounded assertions about the 2020 presidential election that have been repeatedly debunked. She told the crowd at the recent rally at Macomb Community College that “authoritarians” are giving millions to her Democratic opponent — Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson — in an attempt to “corrupt battleground state election systems so they can control America.” It was an address designed to rev up the crowd of devoted Trump followers, some of whom have latched onto the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory. While Karamo’s speech drew cheers, relying on a general election strategy that appeals to the most far-right voters is a gamble for Michigan Republicans. All three GOP candidates stood behind Trump during the Oct. 1 rally at the college about 20 miles north of Detroit, joined by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who has amplified Trump’s election falsehoods to audiences across the country. In his own address to the crowd, DePerno called Democrats “radical, cultural Marxists” who want to “silence you.” “If that doesn’t work, they want to put you in jail,” DePerno told the crowd, which fell into chants of “Lock her up.” All three Democratic incumbents are women. DePerno’s campaign also is clouded by an investigation into whether he should be criminally charged for attempting to gain access to voting machines after the 2020 election. “Karamo and DePerno are among the most loyal to Donald Trump that you will find anywhere in the country,” said Jason Roe, a longtime Republican strategist. “That loyalty has been unshakable in this election process, regardless of how it might affect general election prospects.” [READ MORE]( Joey Cappelletti, AP News (October 9, 2022) Michigan GOP statewide candidates stick to far-right message Retrieved from: [Michigan GOP statewide candidates stick to far-right message]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for being a part of Dana's re-election campaign! Sending emails is a crucial way to keep supporters like you updated on Dana's fight for justice and progress. Plus, this campaign is fueled by grassroots supporters like you! 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