Adrian, MI – State Representative Bronna Kahle joined a bipartisan group of state legislators to discuss a new plan to fix Michigan’s criminal justice system and take a smarter approach to addressing low-level criminal offenses.
Driving on a suspended license is an extremely common reason for someone to be jailed, but Representative Kahle says that that is not what jail is for…
Kahle’s legislation would reclassify many traffic misdemeanors as civil infractions, so people would have the option to pay a ticket rather than making an appearance in court.
Representative Kahle says that our State law allows for people who commit low-level criminal offenses to go to jail…
Kahle said that State statute offers little to no guidance on these issues…
A few of the measures in the plan include:
- eliminating mandatory minimum jail sentences for several low-level offenses, giving judges the discretion to set a penalty based on the facts of the case
- giving law enforcement officers discretion to issue citations, rather than making arrests, for most misdemeanors
- ensuring summonses are used for most first-time cases of a failure to appear in court and allow defendants to resolve low-level warrants without being arrested.
The plan will be referred to the House and Senate Judiciary committees for consideration.
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*Courtesy of the Office of State Representative Bronna Kahle*