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Medical marijuana battle: Father fights for custody of son
OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. – Medical marijuana is a controversial, sometimes sticky issue, especially in Michigan. Max Lorincz is a father from Spring Lake who is fighting for his right to use medical marijuana, and get his son back. He’s a card-carrying patient, but was charged with a felony, after a single smear of oil was found in his home. After Lorincz’s probable cause hearing has left him waiting for a decision from a judge. Since seeing FOX 17’s coverage of […]
Allegations: MSP falsely reporting marijuana, targeting card-carrying patients
SPRING LAKE, Mich. – The defense representing a Spring Lake father facing a felony marijuana charge is accusing Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division crime labs of misreporting marijuana intentionally. It’s an allegation with statewide implications. FOX 17 first reported Max Lorincz’s case in February: He’s a card-carrying medical marijuana patient. He was charged with felony possession of synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for having a smear amount of butane hash oil (BHO). “If nobody stands up for this and it just […]
Emails spell out alleged scandal in state crime lab testing, falsely reporting marijuana
OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. – First uncovered by FOX 17, more on an alleged scandal in how state crime labs are testing and reporting marijuana, namely marijuana by-products with no visible plant matter, as felonies. We first brought you the case of an Ottawa County father, Max Lorincz, who was slapped with a felony after he refused to plead guilty to a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge, as he is a medical marijuana card-carrying patient. Now he faces the felony charge of […]
DEWITT, Mich. – A former director of Michigan State Police Forensic Science addressed the serious allegations FOX 17 uncovered, which accuse the Attorney General’s office and state prosecutors of influencing state police crime labs to falsely report marijuana; essentially turning misdemeanors into felonies. Attorney Michael Komorn, representing an Ottawa County defendant, claims forensic scientists are taking directives to report marijuana products ambiguously. In cases were marijuana plant material is not visible, MSP crime labs are reporting THC in waxes and […]
Drug felonies without credible proof? — Allegations of politicking in state police crime labs
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – First on FOX 17, we broke serious allegations that state police crime labs are being told to falsely report marijuana test results. This is resulting in misleading lab reports that an attorney claims creates felonies without real proof. Attorney Michael Komorn believes a recent policy change in the way Michigan State Police forensic science crime labs report marijuana may have led to years of wrongful convictions. Komorn called this a “perversion of science,” and “crime labs […]
MSP defends marijuana crime lab reporting after FOX 17 investigation
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Big questions are still looming over the controversial Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division marijuana reporting policy change: it’s accused of ambiguous crime lab reporting leading to misdemeanor pot charges trumped for synthetic-THC felonies. Tuesday MSP-FSD officials responded to FOX 17’s investigation: officials stated they stand by their policy change, but they failed to address some of our biggest questions. Last month, FOX 17 was the first to show you emails accusing the crime labs of […]
Federal complaints allege marijuana misreporting by State Police crime lab
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — At least three attorneys filed federal complaints Tuesday against the Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division for allegations of serious negligence or misconduct, and to contest grant money the crime labs received this year. However, officials with both the MSP and the Michigan Attorney General’s Office told FOX 17 their agencies are not conducting investigations into these allegations. Each complaint filed Tuesday was issued to the National Institute of Justice, Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences’ […]
Judge dismissed felony charge against medical marijuana patient Max Lorincz
OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. – After 16 months of a criminal and family court battle, an Ottawa County Circuit Court Judge dismissed wrongful felony charges against a Spring Lake father and card-carrying medical marijuana patient for having “synthetic THC.” Friday Max Lorincz was in court for multiple hearings regarding his criminal case, after he was charged with a two-year felony for what the Michigan State Police crime lab depicts as “synthetic THC.” Judge Edward Post ruled that the prosecution did not […]
State crime labs to begin testing shelved West Michigan rape kits
LANSING, Mich. — Now that testing from more than 10,000 shelved rape evidence kits in Wayne County is complete, the Michigan State Police crime labs plan to begin test more than 1,800 untested kits from around the state. In 2009 Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy found 11,341 sexual assault evidence kits in an abandoned Detroit crime lab that closed in 2008. Thousands of DNA samples and possible convictions sat collecting dust. Many like Defense Attorney Michael Komorn call this a […]
Medical marijuana patients reunited with son after lengthy court battles, unfounded drug charges
SPRING LAKE, Mich. — After 18 months, a Spring Lake family’s son is out of foster care and reunited with his parents. Yet the fight to be together, through court battles and serious drug charges despite being card-carrying medical marijuana patients, still haunts them. Thursday, Max Lorincz’s son Dante, 6, picked out his favorite toys from a basket in the family’s living room, handing one to FOX 17 saying, “this is my dad’s favorite.” Piece by piece, Max and his […]
Cannabis oil for kids: Michigan family fighting for son’s health
MICHIGAN – Seven-year-old Ryan Powers could smoke marijuana in the comfort of his own home and have full protection under the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, but, while he doesn’t smoke marijuana, he needs a special blend of cannabis oil to keep him out of the hospital. However, cannabis oil doesn’t fall within any provisions under the act. Gray areas in Michigan’s Medical Marijuana Act are making it hard for families to get the medicine they need. Ryan’s parents, Jim and […]
Federal class action lawsuit filed against MSP crime labs over marijuana reporting policy
DETROIT — Attorneys filed a federal class action lawsuit against the Michigan State Police crime labs this week, claiming its current marijuana reporting policy violates due process and Fourth Amendment rights and demanding it be thrown out for good. This suit would have statewide impact, directly affecting the some 180,000 registered medical marijuana patients and anyone caught with marijuana in Michigan. Attorneys Michael Komorn and Tim Daniels filed the suit Tuesday with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District […]
Judge hears arguments in class action marijuana lawsuit
DETROIT, Mich. — A judge on Wednesday heard arguments in a federal class action lawsuit filed by medical marijuana patients and caregivers against several Michigan law enforcement and crime lab officials. The suit, filed in June, claims that because of false lab reports, prosecutors are charging people with felonies without proof, illegally arresting them and seizing assets. Four patients and caregivers are suing the directors of the Michigan State Police, their crime labs and the publicly-operated Oakland County lab and […]
