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An issue that has started to attack Washtenaw County is competency. The mental health concerns for our youth have essentially gone undetected. These issues have led to many young people becoming products of our criminal justice system. To discuss this matter in greater detail, we spoke to several of the top lawyers in the state of Michigan.

Matthew McManus is the Managing Member of McManus and Amadeo in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (https://www.mcmanusamadeo.com/). McManus is a top research attorney in our state and provided commentary on the subject. “I’m not just an attorney, I’m a parent of two young children, and I feel our youth need to have proper oversight from the earliest of stages. Our children are lucky enough to be in private school, but this is an issue that starts with the educational system, and we need to examine it to protect our county.”

Jennifer Kelley is a Senior Associate for McManus and Amadeo and one of the top Family Law Attorneys in Michigan. (https://www.mcmanusamadeo.com/jennifer-kelley.html). Kelley added, “In addition to being an attorney, I coach at Divine Child High School. (https://www.divinechildhighschool.org/). As coaches, teachers, and lawyers, we need to protect our young people, and I find it sad that our youth’s services are often dictated by socioeconomics. Bill (Amadeo) has dealt with a lot of competency issues, and many times we are fighting an uphill battle to get young people the help that they need.”

In the field of law, there is a process that must be in place. You have to graduate from college and take the LSAT to get into law school. After that, you then have to attend an accredited law school and have a high enough grade point average to get to the next step. From there, you have to pass the bar exam. These rules require 19 years of schooling and bar exam preparation, which is not exactly how things may be done in California. (See Kim Kardashian for further explanation). What is missed along the way is the makeup of what brought your attorney to the place where you decided to hire them to guide your case. One of the most overlooked concepts is that former athletes make for exceptional lawyers. Today we talked with some of the top lawyers in the State of Michigan and learned how their careers in sports played a role in their success as an attorney.

Matthew McManus is the Managing Member of McManus and Amadeo in Ann Arbor, Michigan. McManus is known as a top researcher and business attorney. Still, before he decided on a career in law, McManus was a successful athlete. As a youth growing up in New York, he was a national champion in Judo, and he still holds his high school basketball team’s record for making 13 three-point field goals in one game. McManus discussed this when he said, “When a child faces the pressure of sports, it gives them a positive sense of competition. I think many of the lessons taught to me by my coaches growing up serve our firm well. Sports and law are not as different as people think.”

Jennifer Kelley is a Senior Associate for McManus and Amadeo. She has become one of the top divorce lawyers in Michigan.Kelley was a very successful athlete in her youth and has taken those talents into the current day. Kelley played Division I softball for Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She currently coaches JV Basketball at “Divine Child High School” in Dearborn, Michigan. She is one of the top travel softball players in our state. Kelley added, “Sports was always my first love; it was something that was a priority in our house. I always knew I wanted to coach when my playing days were over. The transition into law was natural because I feel that we as counsel for our clients as much as we litigate for them. Being an attorney is about going to court and going the extra mile for our clients. Sports taught us these lessons from the first time we were on the softball diamond.”

The police lineup has been a technique for a witness to identify a defendant they had no prior connection to for decades. It was always believed that the police lineup presented eyewitness testimony. As such, there was no better evidence (other than a confession). Throughout the years, we have learned that the police lineup can be a compromised situation.

The rules of the lineup are enough; the problem is the application of said rules. Lineups are not supposed to be suggestive. As the physical lineup is deemed a critical stage, a right to counsel is supposed to be present. In a perfect world, the lineup presents justice for all. As we will learn in speaking to many of the top lawyers in the State of Michigan, we are not living in a perfect world.

Matthew McManus is the founder of McManus and Amadeo, one of the top criminal defense firms in Michigan. (https://www.mcmanusamadeo.com/). McManus is known as one of the leading researchers in the state and spoke on the topic. McManus said, “Every police agency does a lineup with their variation. Just like there is no such thing as uniformity of law, there is no uniformity in the lineup. The procedures for maintaining the evidence depend on the police agency. The Michigan State Police changed their policy in the recent past and the changes display there were problems with the concept.”

Editor’s Note:  This series will be highly controversial, and the privacy of the article’s subject has demanded to remain nameless for their safety and respect for their family. The only attorneys present for this series of interviews are employed for McManus and Amadeo and include Matthew McManus, William Amadeo and Jennifer Kelley. A non-disclosure agreements have been signed. CM=Carly McGregor, Officer=Defendant’s father, the other parties will go by their initials MM,=Matt McManus, JK=Jennifer Kelley, BA=Bill Amadeo, NS=Nick Sanderson).

Part IX of this series will deal with the sentencing.

CM:  On the day of the sentencing, what were you thinking?

Editor’s Note: This series will be highly controversial, and the privacy of the article’s subject has demanded to remain nameless for their safety and respect for their family. The only attorneys present for this series of interviews are employed for McManus and Amadeo and include Matthew McManus, William Amadeo and Jennifer Kelley. A non-disclosure agreements have been signed. CM=Carly McGregor, Officer=Defendant’s father, the other parties will go by their initials MM,=Matt McManus, JK=Jennifer Kelley, BA=Bill Amadeo, NS=Nick Sanderson).

Part VIII of this series will deal with the second motion day that ended up in a plea in Circuit Court.

CM:  The next step was the second motion date, tell us what you are feeling at this point?

Editor’s Note:  This series will be highly controversial, and the privacy of the article’s subject has demanded to remain nameless for their safety and respect for their family. The only attorneys present for this series of interviews are employed for McManus and Amadeo and include Matthew McManus, William Amadeo and Jennifer Kelley. A non-disclosure agreements have been signed. CM=Carly McGregor, Officer= Defendant’s father, the other parties will go by their initials MM,=Matt McManus, JK=Jennifer Kelley, BA=Bill Amadeo, NS=Nick Sanderson).

Part VI of this series will deal with the first circuit court appearance and another case that hit close to home. Tensions flared with Bill (Amadeo) and the father of the defendant and the past of both parties came to a collision course.

CM:  What were you thinking when the matter wen to circuit court?

(Editor’s Note:  This series will be highly controversial, and the privacy of the article’s subject has demanded to remain nameless for their safety and respect for their family. The only attorneys present for this series of interviews are employed for McManus and Amadeo and include Matthew McManus, William Amadeo and Jennifer Kelley. A non-disclosure agreements have been signed).

Part IV of this series will deal with the preliminary exam and what happened that day and the strategy that occurred.

CM:  Can you explain what the preliminary exam is and how are you familiar with them?

(Editor’s Note:  This series will be highly controversial, and the privacy of the article’s subject has demanded to remain nameless for their safety and respect for their family. The only attorneys present for this series of interviews are employed for McManus and Amadeo and include Matthew McManus, William Amadeo and Jennifer Kelley. A non-disclosure agreements have been signed).

Part IV of this series will deal with the topic of the District Court and the 2 weeks from when the case was adjourned for another Probable Cause Conference (PCC).  The father/officer of the defendant explains what happened at the District Court level. CM=Carly McGregor, Officer=Subject).

CM:  So when you hired Bill (Amadeo) what happened?

(Editor’s Note:  This series will be highly controversial, and the privacy of the article’s subject has demanded to remain nameless for their safety and respect for their family. The only attorneys present for this series of interviews are employed for McManus and Amadeo and include Matthew McManus, William Amadeo and Jennifer Kelley. A non-disclosure agreements have been signed).

Part III of this series will deal with the topic of the attorney switch. The father/officer of the defendant in this case did go through previous counsel before they ended up with William Amadeo as their lawyer.  The journey and why the switch was made is a journey that was surprising. (CM=Carly McGregor, Officer=Subject).

CM:  Was Bill (Amadeo) the first lawyer that you had?

(Editor’s Note:  This series will be highly controversial, and the privacy of the article’s subject has demanded to remain nameless for their safety and respect for their family. The only attorneys present for this series of interviews are employed for McManus and Amadeo and include Matthew McManus, William Amadeo and Jennifer Kelley. A non-disclosure agreements have been signed).

Part II of this series will deal with the concept of the polygraph and how it was dealt with in this case and more importantly, how it has been dealt with in other cases.  While the firm of McManus and Amadeo are strong proponents of the polygraph, there are a lot of things that were discussed about this particular case and the test in general. (CM=Carly McGregor, Officer=Subject).

CM: Officer, you stated that your son passed a polygraph, is that accurate?