Judge Karen Khalil

The Honorable Karen Khalil has served as judge to the people of Redford for more than twenty years. Judge Khalil has been selected by the Michigan Supreme Court to serve as the court’s Chief Judge. Judge Khalil was raised in Redford and graduated from Redford Union High School. She was Redford’s first female judge; she has earned a reputation for handing down some tough sentences. Judge Khalil is a graduate of Albion College and the University of Detroit School of Law.

Charlotte L. Wirth

The Honorable Charlotte L. Wirth was appointed to the 17th District Court in March of 1999. She is a graduate of Redford Union High School, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University Law School.Before being a judge she was in private law practice in Redford for close to twenty years.

The procedure for a misdemeanor criminal charge at the 17th District Court is as follows:

Arraignment at the 17th District Court

This is the first time you will appear in the court and come in front of a judge or a magistrate. At arraignment you will formally be told what criminal offense you are being accused of and what the maximum possible penalty is that you are facing. The judge is not asking if you agree with it or not, just simply if you understand it or not.

In almost all misdemeanor cases the 17th District Court will allow your lawyer to waive your arraignment and jump ahead to the pre trial. There are strategic reasons why you may or may not want to do waive your arraignment.

The judge will also address bond at this stage. Bond is a promise to return to court and may require you to pay money to the court along with other conditions such as random alcohol or drug testing.

If you were not taken into custody by police and booked, which includes having your photo taken and finger prints taken, the court will send you over to the Redford Police station before your case will be called. to complete the booking procedure.

Pre Trial at the 17th District Court

After your arraignment you will get a date to come back to the court. The next stage is the pre trial. At the pre trial your lawyer will speak with the prosecuting attorney, that is the attorney who is trying to convict you of a crime and see what can be worked out. If the parties cannot agree on anything then the case may be set for a motion, evidentry hearing, or trial.

Motions and Evidentiary Hearings

These hearings do not occur in every criminal case. They challenge legal issues like probable cause and reasonable suspicion but do not challenge facts. Facts, for the most part, can only be challenged at a trial.

Most motions are the 17th District Court are set as evidentiary hearings in criminal matters. This means that the arresting officer, or witnesses for the prosecution will have to appear and testify. You can think of it as a mini trial.

Trial at the 17th District Court

There are two types of trials, a bench trial where the judge will decide the facts of the case as well as the law, or a jury trial where the jurors will decide the facts and the judge will decide the law. If you are found guilty you will proceed to sentencing, if you are found not guilty then you are free to go. Most criminal charges are resolved without trial.

Sentencing at the 17th District Court

If you lose at trial, or if your lawyer works out a plea for you where you get some kind of deal then your next hearing will be the sentencing. Sentencing can be as simple as paying a small fine, or it can be the other end of the spectrum where you have to serve jail time.

In some cases you may be able to have your sentencing hearing the same day as your pre trial if your attorney has worked out a plea for you. This is very convenient for people who cannot miss additional time off work or live away from the court’s jurisdiction.

The prosecutor is the attorney that represents the township or state government and is against you. At the 17th District Court, the Township of Redford as well as the State of Michigan each have their own prosecutor. One year misdemeanor’s and felonies are handled by the State of Michigan’s Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutors work closely with police departments and their goal is to enforce the law. You should never talk with the prosecutor without your lawyer present. Any admission you make will be used against you.

Prosecutor for the Township of Redford

The law firm of Giarmaco Mulllins and Horton. 101 W. Big Beaver Rd., FL 10, Troy MI 48084 (248) 457-7026

Prosecutor for the State of Michigan

Wayne County Prosecutor, Kym L. Worthy 1441 Saint Antoine Street Frank Murphy Hall of Justice Detroit, mI 48226

The Redford District Court does offer a Veterans Court.

The mission of the Veterans Court is to rehabilitate veterans through a specialized support and services program geared towards those who have served our country.

Mentors that are required to receive special training assist with the program. Veterans can actually contact the court that are interested in becoming mentors.

The Redford Veterans Court is supervised by judge Kahlil.The Veterans Court will accept candidates into the program from jurisdictions outside of Redford. In fact, our office successfully transferred criminal matters from Livonia over to the Redford Veterans Court.

Eligibility for the 17th District Court Veterans Court.

Veterans with a general or honorable discharge who have served in the United States Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves.

Veterans convicted of non-violent crimes who are in need of mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, or other assistance.

Eligibility is determined at the time of sentencing when the judge reviews the pre-sentence investigation or alcohol assessment, and the treatment team believes the admission will assist the veteran and protect the public.

A limited number of veterans from other jurisdictions may be transferred into the program with the agreement of both courts.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychological condition experienced by a person who has faced a traumatic event which causes a huge stressor outside the range of usual experience, such as war, rape, torture, or a natural disaster. PTSD has also been known as “shell shock” and “combat fatigue”. It is estimated that twenty percent of soldiers deployed in the past six years suffer from PTSD.

If you have served in the military or have been through a traumatic event and are experiencing these symptoms, you may be suffering from PTSD:

• Irritability or outburst of anger
• Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or having nightmares
• Difficulty concentrating
• Hyper vigilance
• Exaggerated startle response
• Flashbacks
• Avoidance

Treatment for PTSD includes trauma focused cognitive-behavioral therapy, family therapy, exposure therapy, and/or medication. Treatment for PTSD includes exploring thoughts and feelings about the trauma; working through feelings of guilt, self-blame, and mistrust; learning how to cope and control intrusive memories; and addressing problems PTSD has caused in your life and relationships.

Attorney Aaron J. Boria has been defending those accused of crimes in the Redford District Court for years. Here are just a few of our notable results in the 17th District Court.

Possession of Heroin – Dismissed

Our client was charged with possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia. The scariest part was that the use of heroin resulted in the death of our client’s fiancé. Because a death resulted from the use of the heroin she could have been charged with a felony for delivery of controlled substance causing death which is punishable by life in prison.

Boria resolved the case by avoiding her ever being charged with the life offense, the possession of heroin charge was dismissed, and out client only plead to possession of paraphernalia charge. She received 9 months of probation and paid a small fine that was covered by her bond.

Manufacture and Delivery of Drugs – Dismissed

Our client was charged with Manufacture and Delivery of Drugs, a felony punishable by years in prison. We set the matter for preliminary examination and discovered that the prosecutor did not have as much evidence as they claimed. The case was resolved with a misdemeanor, our client paid a fine and the case was sealed.

Reckless Driving – Dismissed

Our client, a teenager barley starting life, was saved from being branded a criminal for the rest of his life with a permanent mark on his criminal record and driving record. He was facing 93 days in jail, court fines and driver responsibility fees in the thousands, and the loss of his drivers license. The case was dismissed.

Domestic Violence – Dismissed

After being accused by his ex-girlfriend for beating her up, our client an army veteran was charged with domestic violence. He was looking at 93 days in jail, a fine, and the loss of his ability to carry a gun. We showed up ready for trial and the prosecutor dismissed the case.

Prostitution – Never Charged

Our client was stopped after leaving a hotel known for prostitution for a traffic violation. Upon being stopped the officers, our client was ordered out of the car and illegal drugs were found. He also admitted that he was at the hotel to see a prostitute. We were able to get involved with the case early on and out client was never charged with prostitution the drug charge was sealed and our client was given a fine and only six months of probation.