State Appellate Defender Office seeks $2.3 million to expand juvenile‑lifer unit after new court rulings

The Michigan State Appellate Defender Office asked the state Appropriations Committee for $2.3 million to add 14.5 positions to its juvenile‑lifer unit, saying the funding would allow the office to represent about 300 people affected by recent court decisions that expand eligibility for resentencing.

The request, made by Marlena David, deputy director and acting director of the Michigan State Appellate Defender Office, came at a committee meeting during which David and other SADO staff outlined the legal background, current caseload and additional budget needs for the defender office.

David said U.S. Supreme Court precedents and more recent state high‑court rulings established the process for resentencing people who were under 18 at the time of their offenses (Miller and Montgomery) and were later expanded to older age groups by Parks and Poole and by the decisions referred to in the hearing as Sarnacki and Taylor. "The statute 769.25a does indicate that prosecutors have a hundred and 80 days from the date a decision is final to file for life without parole again," David told the committee, summarizing the timeline under the statute. She added prosecutors' filings can trigger a 14‑day response period for defense counsel and that the actual resentencing hearings can be scheduled later to allow preparation.

Why it matters: The office said…