Three Michigan Cases Everyone Is Talking About in 2026: An Investigator’s Take

by Yada Phillips Comment Closed
When people find out what we do for a living, the conversation usually turns to whatever case is in the news. This year, three Michigan cases keep coming up. So let’s talk about them the way we would across a table. First, the ground rules. We did not work on any of these cases. Everything we know about them comes from public news reports, which are linked at the bottom, and news reports can be incomplete. Two of the cases are still in court, and every person charged with a crime is presumed innocent. We are not here to say who did what. We are here to talk about the questions these cases raise for anyone who does defense investigation. “How does someone spend 17 years in prison for something he didn’t do?” That question comes from the Dell Crawford case. News outlets reported this spring that a Wayne County judge set aside his murder conviction after new DNA testing, and that he...
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Holiday Season Scams, Package Theft, and What to Document

by Yada Phillips Comment Closed
December is the busiest time of year for scammers and package thieves. It is also a season when ordinary shoppers get accused of things they did not do. A little preparation, and good records, protect you either way. Scams to watch for Fake delivery messages. A text or email says a package is on hold and asks you to click a link. Go to the carrier or store website yourself. Do not use the link. Gift card demands. No government office, utility, court or police department takes payment in gift cards. Anyone who asks for that is running a scam. Charity impostors. Look up the charity yourself and give through its own website. Online marketplace meetups. Meet in a public place. Many police departments offer their parking lots for exchanges. Package theft Have packages held at a pickup location, or delivered to work or to a neighbor who is home. Use delivery alerts so a package does not sit for hours. A doorbell camera helps, but only if you...
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Thanksgiving Weekend Arrests: A Family Guide for Michigan

by Yada Phillips Comment Closed
Thanksgiving brings people together, and it also brings long drives, late nights and old arguments. Police often add patrols for the holiday, and the night before Thanksgiving is known as one of the heaviest drinking nights of the year. If a family member is arrested over the long weekend, the next few hours matter. Why the holiday makes it harder Courts are closed on Thanksgiving Day. Some courts hold weekend and holiday arraignments and some do not, so a person arrested on Wednesday night may wait longer to see a judge or magistrate than on a normal weekday. Attorneys and offices are harder to reach. That makes it more important for the family to stay organized. What to do first Find out where the person is being held and write down the booking information. Do not discuss the facts of the case on a jail phone or during a visit. Those conversations can be recorded. Contact a defense attorney. If the person cannot afford one, the...
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Halloween in Michigan: How a Night of Fun Becomes a Criminal Charge

by Yada Phillips Comment Closed
Halloween is supposed to be fun. Every year, though, some families end the night with a phone call from a police station. Most of those cases start with something that looked harmless at the time. Here is what tends to go wrong, and how to keep it from happening in your family. Pranks that damage property Egging a car, smashing a pumpkin display or breaking a decoration can be charged as malicious destruction of property in Michigan. How serious the charge is depends largely on the dollar value of the damage, and paint damage to a car adds up fast. Doorbell cameras mean there is often video. Going where you are not invited Cutting through yards, entering a vacant building for a scare, or staying on property after being told to leave can lead to a trespassing charge. Vacant buildings are also dangerous. Talk to teenagers about where they are going before they leave. Costume props that look like weapons A realistic toy gun can bring...
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Working With a Defense Investigator: A Short Guide for Assigned Counsel

by Yada Phillips Comment Closed
Michigan's indigent defense standards expect more of assigned counsel than reviewing the police report. MIDC Standard 3 calls for an independent investigation of the charges and, where appropriate, a request for funds to retain an investigator. Here is how to make that work in practice. Bring the investigator in early The best time to start is right after you have read the discovery. Video, witnesses and records are easiest to find in the first weeks of a case. Share the discovery An investigator who has read the reports, watched the video and seen the witness list can spot gaps and contradictions that a summary would hide. Define the questions Give specific tasks: locate and interview these witnesses, canvass this block for cameras, pull these records, build a timeline for this window. Clear questions produce usable answers. Agree on hours up front Set a budget of hours for the case and ask for an update before it is exceeded. That keeps the funding request and the invoice straightforward. Keep the...
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Evidence Disappears Fast: A Preservation Checklist for Defense Teams

by Yada Phillips Comment Closed
Some of the most useful evidence in a criminal case has the shortest life. Video is recorded over, accounts are deleted, vehicles are repaired, and memories fade. This is the checklist we work from at the start of a case. What goes first Business surveillance video. Many systems record over themselves within days or weeks. Identify every camera near the scene and along the routes in and out. Doorbell and home cameras. Neighbors often have footage and do not know it matters. A door-to-door canvass finds it. 911 audio, dispatch records, body-worn and dash camera video. Retention periods vary from agency to agency, so request these early. Phone and cloud data. Texts, call logs, photos, location history and app data can be lost with a new phone or a deleted account. Social media. Posts, stories and comments can vanish in a day. Capture them with dates and the account they came from. Vehicle, ride-share and delivery records. These can place a person, or a car, at a...
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A Loved One Was Just Arrested in Michigan: What to Do in the First 48 Hours

by Yada Phillips Comment Closed
The phone call comes, and everything stops. In the first two days after an arrest, families want to help, and that is when the most avoidable mistakes happen. These steps come from what we see as defense investigators. 1. Get the basics in writing Find out where your loved one is being held, the booking or case number, the charges, and the date and court for the first appearance. Write it all down. You will be asked for it again and again. 2. Do not talk about the facts on the phone Assume jail calls and visits are recorded. Talk about family, bills and support. Leave what happened for conversations with the attorney. 3. Get a lawyer involved right away If you can hire an attorney, do it now. If you cannot afford one, your loved one can ask the court for an appointed attorney at the first appearance. Either way, the facts of the case should go through the lawyer. 4. Stay off social media Do not...
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The Key to Justice: How Criminal Defense Investigations Strengthen Your Case

The Key to Justice: How Criminal Defense Investigations Strengthen Your Case

by Yada Phillips Comment Closed
As a criminal defense attorney, you understand the stakes of each case. Your client’s future depends on a meticulously crafted defense strategy, supported by comprehensive and accurate information. This is where criminal defense investigations come into play. By digging deep into the facts, uncovering hidden details, and verifying evidence, professional investigators provide attorneys with the tools they need to build a robust defense. At Phillips Private Investigations & Consulting Firm (PPIC), we specialize in assisting attorneys by conducting thorough criminal defense investigations that reveal the truth, uphold justice, and protect the rights of the accused. What Sets Criminal Defense Investigations Apart with PPIC? As an experienced attorney, you know the critical role that criminal defense investigations play in building a solid case. What distinguishes one investigation from another is the level of diligence, expertise, and strategic insight brought to the table. At Phillips Private Investigations & Consulting Firm (PPIC), we go beyond surface-level fact-finding to provide actionable insights that strengthen your defense strategy. Our...
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Finding the Hidden: The Art and Science of Asset Investigation

Finding the Hidden: The Art and Science of Asset Investigation

by Yada Phillips Comment Closed
A Call for Help Recently, we received a call that perfectly illustrates why our work matters. A gentleman reached out on behalf of his friend, a woman whose primary language wasn't English. She was stuck in an abusive marriage and planning to file for divorce, but she faced a common challenge: her husband had been methodically concealing their assets. Though she couldn't prove it, certain behaviors and patterns had caught her attention, suggesting there was more to their financial picture than he claimed. Her friend wanted to know if PPIC could help uncover these hidden assets to support her upcoming court proceedings. This case touches the heart of what we do at PPIC – helping vulnerable individuals uncover the truth and achieve justice through professional asset investigation. When Money Talks, We Listen In my fifteen years as a private investigator, I've learned one universal truth: money leaves a trail. No matter how clever someone thinks they're being, assets have a way of revealing themselves to those...
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