With 22 attorneys, four investigators and 11 support staff under the direction of Chief Defender Miriam L. Seifer, the Federal Defender office represents indigent clients in all federal courts for the Eastern District of Michigan, including Detroit, Ann Arbor, Flint and Bay City. When there are grounds for an appeal, the Federal Defender will handle appellate proceedings, all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. In 2007, the Federal Defender Office closed 887 cases, according to Seifer.
In 2007, the Department of Justice put an emphasis on prosecuting individuals involved in child pornography, thus those cases in the Federal Defender Office increased some 200 percent, according to Seifer. There was also a drop in the number of gun cases under Michigan’s Project Safe Neighborhood. Other types of cases handled by the Federal Defender Office include fraud, immigration and other federal felonies.
Detroit Office
613 Abbott
Detroit , MI 48226
313.967.5555
Flint Office
653 South Saginaw Street
Suite 105
Flint, MI 48502
810.232.3600
