Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette’s crime initiative is one step closer to being law now that it’s passed through the Michigan House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
According to the Observer & Eccentric, the initiative, officially named the Violent Offense-Fourth Felony law (VO-4), will require a minimum 25-year sentence for specific repeat offenders who’ve committed four felonies while progressing to more violent crimes. Now that the bill has made it through the Judiciary Committee, it will go to the House floor for a vote.
“Today the House Judiciary Committee advanced legislation crafted to target the worst of the worst: repeat violent offenders,” said Schuette. “This legislation will break the cycle of violent crime by removing the most dangerous offenders from our streets.”
At the hearing was Linda Nehasil, widow of Livonia Police Officer Larry Nehasil. Officer Neshasil died in the line of fire on January 17, 2011. The officer was shot by a man who was fleeing police after a robbery. Officer Nehasil is remembered as being “always about the team” and always the first officer on the scene.
The primary goal of VO-4 is to keep violent offenders behind bars to prevent them from being able to commit more violent acts. During his testimony, Director of Public Affairs, Rusty Hills, gave several examples of convicted murderers who would’ve been in jail and unable to murder if VO-4 was law at the time of their fourth conviction.
POAM is not alone in their support of the Violent Offense-Fourth Felony law. The bill is also supported by Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee, Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan (PAAM), Michigan Sheriffs Association, Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, Michigan Fraternal Order of Police and many others. Check POAM’s Legislative Updates section for all the latest news on legislation pertaining to POAM and our members.
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