Legal professionals discuss 'dos and don'ts' of criminal law

On Tuesday, Oct. 4, WMU-Cooley’s Criminal Law Society (CLS) hosted the panel discussion “War Stories: The Dos and Don'ts of Criminal Practice." Pictured (l-r) Eric Langton, CLS treasurer; Jerry Dorsey, Wayne County assistant prosecutor; Megan Leyva, CLS president; Robyn Frankel, Oakland County defense attorney; Valerie Newman, State Appellate Defender; David McCreedy, Wayne County assistant prosecutor; and Mayrel Narvaez CLS board member.

The Criminal Law Society at WMU-Cooley Law School recently hosted the panel discussion "War Stories: The Dos and Don'ts of Criminal Practice." Panelists included Wayne County assistant prosecutors Jerry Dorsey and David McCreedy, State Appellate Defender Valerie Newman, and Oakland County defense attorney Robyn Frankel. The attorneys shared their experiences in criminal practice and offered practical, valuable advice that each student can apply in practice.

During the event, Newman said an attorney can not learn the complete details about a case from a file and it is important to meet with the client because he or she can offer information not available anywhere else.

"It is also especially important to discuss your case with the client before attempting to make any plea agreements with the prosecutor," said Newman. "An attorney should do their due diligence and follow up on information that the client provides, no matter how unrealistic it may seem."

Following the presentations, Mayrel Narvaez, a member of WMU-Cooley's Criminal Law Society, shared her take-away with the group in attendance. "Never pick a side - there is not a good and a bad side. Your sole purpose is to seek justice. A good attorney should be able to identify with sides, prosecutor and defense attorney. Let the evidence lead you and don't make conclusions.

Published: Mon, Oct 24, 2016

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