Michael A Haber PA Criminal DUI Defense Litigation Miami Blog

If you Plan on Begging the Court for Leniency then it's a Good Idea NOT to Lie to the Judge...

Meet Jeffrey Klein of Jackson, Michigan.   That's him below, all 625 lbs of him, with his family....

After a dispute with the Cedar Spring Mobile Estates on August 25th, 2012, Jeff called in a bomb threat - dialing 911 and stating that a bomb was set to go off at the mobile park - and even though police determined the call to have been a false threat Jeffrey was arrested for misuse of emergency services.

Since then Jeffrey had managed NOT to appear in Court.  For more than two (2) years he had been claiming that he was bed-bound due to weight related health complications, that he was a virtual prisoner in his own home and that he was physically unable to get himself to court... and the Judge bought it, hook, line and sinker, allowing Jeffrey some serious slack until New Year's Day 2015, when Jeffrey was pulled over and arrested for driving his car on a suspended license.  Since then Jeffrey has appeared in Court, only his appearances have been via a live video feed from the jail...

The shameful thing (apart from Jerry lying about the bomb and then to the Judge about his bogus claimed medical inability to leave his home) is that the Judge had agreed in December, 2014 to take Jeffrey's plea in his physical absence and via the internet, and that the Judge was actually considering permitting a home-based sanction.  Naturally when the Judge learned that Jeffrey had been caught outside of his home driving a car (without a license, adding insult to injury), that preferential treatment went way south way fast.

Jeffrey sat in jail from January 1st until his sentencing on January 23rd, 2015 when his fate was determined and set at a minimum term of eighteen (18) months in state prison.  He begged and pleaded with the Court for leniency but this time the Judge wasn't buying Jeffrey's plea.  Apart from being caught in a two and a half (2.5) year long series of lies, the Judge also considered the fact that the 44 y/o had amassed, above and beyond his physical girth, some fourteen (14) prior felony and thirteen (13) prior misdemeanor convictions.  So, hi ho hi ho, it's off prison that Jeffrey goes...

The silver lining, if there is one, is that Jeffrey is reported to have lost 65 pounds, weighing in at 560, since his New Year's Day arrest, and that he can expect to lose more weight as he serves his time. According to a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Corrections severely obese inmates tend to lose weight in prison.  Some "come in here heavy and they've left us much healthier because they are under a specialized medical and dietary plan."  Prison dietitians work with obese inmates to ensure that they consume enough calories.  Jeffrey won't get "special" food but he also won't have access to quantities of unhealthy food.

Memo to the Folks:  Judge's usually enjoy wide discretion in rulings, especially when it comes to sentencing.   They also tend to have long memories.  Think about that, and remember to govern yourselves accordingly.

When it comes to the subject of "Cops, Courts and Constitutions" you should always have a skilled and experienced criminal defense attorney who is focused on serving your interests.  While we can't stop the cops from arresting you, as your legal counsel Michael A. Haber, PA will ensure that your rights are respected from the moment that representation begins and that any abuses which may have occurred beforehand are remedied.

At Michael A. Haber, P.A. "Its all about reasonable doubt"!