WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. – Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit announced that he is rescinding “zero-tolerance” policies that were previously used by the prosecutor’s office.
The policies prevented certain defendants from going through substance-use treatment or rehabilitation options in lieu of incarceration. The policies also precluded young defendants from having an opportunity to clear their record if they “avoid further brushes with the law.”
The policy directs prosecuting attorneys, “to consider the individual facts at the center of each case, and to pursue the case outcome that is in the interest of justice.”
Those factors include victim input, public safety, the level of moral culpability, and the degree to which a defendant’s actions were the result of poverty, substance use, or mental-health issues.
Savit took office at midnight on Friday morning. A ceremonial swearing-in is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. on the University of Michigan’s Law Quad. A livestream of the swearing-in will be available here. Registration for the virtual reception is available here.
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