Community

At Cripps & Silver are committed to making sure everyone has the help of an attorney to protect their rights in state and federal court. In addition to our work representing clients in Detroit, Wayne County, and throughout Southeast Michigan, our team also goes out of its way to give back to the community.

We partner with the University of Michigan Innocence Clinic, helping wrongfully convicted prisoners seek justice when DNA or other physical evidence was overlooked, or when procedural problems left them facing an unfair trial. We believe in the work the Innocence Clinic does, and partner with the law students and legal faculty there to make sure those prisoners’ rights are protected and restored. We are also avid believers in the work put forth by the numerous other innocence clinics around the state and the country.

We also work closely with the Michigan State Appellate Defender Office, representing criminal defendants after the state appellate courts have overturned their convictions and sent their cases back for new trials. We safeguard the legal and procedural rights of these defendants to make sure their case is handled properly the second time around.

Our criminal defense attorneys also stepped in after an audit revealed the Detroit crime laboratory police officers had faked evidence, covered over errors, and in many cases lied under oath to get convictions. After the Michigan courts set aside convictions and rescheduled matters for trial, our legal team stepped in to represent the defendants and expose the errors and intentional false statements that led to their improper convictions.

In 2020, when Black Lives Matter protesters took to the streets in response to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others, the police pushed back, issuing waves of criminal charges against people in the streets exercising their Freedom of Speech. Cripps & Silver attorneys filed more than 60 appearances in the protester’s criminal cases, standing up for their rights and advocating for the unconstitutional charges to be dismissed.

In addition, our attorneys frequently speak at conferences, helping to educate law students and attorneys about the complex issues that can occur in criminal defense cases. Cripps & Silver attorney Sarah Krause was even invited to speak before the Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee in 2018 regarding the Michigan Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Act. Our Partner, Gabi Silver is also the Vice President of the Wayne County Criminal Defense Bar Association, helping to guide her fellow defense attorneys across the county.

How Our Criminal Defense Attorneys Can Help

If your organization or victims’ advocacy group would like to learn more about our attorneys’ community involvement, contact Cripps & Silver now.