Michigan Sex Crime Attorneys Blog
Original Case Details
A man from the Northern Michigan County of Roscommon was recently found guilty of multiple sex crimes that allege he held a woman against her will and forced her to clean his house and perform sex acts. The woman was actually herself arrested for stealing a vehicle, but she told Roscommon County police officers that she escaped from a home where she was being held against her will and was being forced into prostitution. She said that two men, James Jarrell and Jeffrey Kobel were her captors and that they also dealt drugs from the home. She told police that she was taken from her home in Ypsilanti and was forced to be in Northern Michigan by the men. Multiple police and investigative agencies cooperated to respond to the home where these men were alleged to live. The Michigan State Police sent the Emergency Support Team (EST), the Strike Team Investigative Narcotics Group (STING), the Houghton Lake Post, and a police canine to join the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office in executing a search warrant on Jarrell and Kobel’s home. The men were arrested and criminally charged. Jarrell was recently found guilty on his charges while Kobel awaits his trial.
Criminal Charges and Penalties
Jarrell was convicted of two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree, one count of unlawful imprisonment, and a habitual offender fourth offense. Criminal sexual conduct in the first degree is a felony charge that carries up to life in prison upon conviction. Unlawful imprisonment is also a felony charge, but its punishment differs as a conviction carries up to 15 years in prison along with up to a $20,000 fine. Jarrell is scheduled for sentencing on December 7, 2020. It is likely that Jarrell will be sentenced to life in prison due to the nature of the case, and his habitual offender enhancement. Jarrell’s co-defendant Jeffrey Kobel is waiting for his trial date one count of unlawful imprisonment and a habitual offender third offense. If Kobel is convicted, it appears that he faces significant prison time as well due to the nature of the case, and his own habitual offender enhancement. Jarrell will now meet with a county probation agent for a presentence interview. The results of the interview will be put into a presentencing report which will detail all the necessary information for the judge to properly determine sentence. The probation agent will also make a recommendation for sentence based on Jarrell’s sentencing guidelines and nature of the case. The judge is free to either follow the probation agent’s recommendation or decide on another sentence that he or she deems appropriate.
Habitual Offender Explained
A habitual offender notice is not actually a criminal charge, but an addition to criminal charges that can exponentially increase an individual’s sentence. If someone has been previously convicted of a felony, the next time that individual is charged with a felony, they are subject to a habitual offender notice second offense. This habitual offender notice can result in an increase of 25% of the maximum sentence of the offense charged. If the individual again gets charged with another subsequent felony, they can be faced with a habitual offender notice third offense. A habitual offender third offense can result in up to a 50% increase on the maximum sentence of the offense charged. If the individual again gets charged with a subsequent felony, they can face a habitual offender fourth offense notice. A habitual offender fourth offense can result in a 100% increase or doubling of the maximum sentence of the offense charged. In the present case, James Jarrell was just convicted of 2 capital offenses that carry up to life in prison and a habitual offender fourth offense notice. The judge in this case will have the ability to sentence Jarrell to a life sentence for his convictions. Kobel has a habitual offender third offense notice on his unlawful imprisonment charge which would increase his 15-year maximum for that charge by an additional 50% which would result in a maximum of 22.5 years upon conviction. If you have questions about a habitual offender notice in your case, then call us at Grabel & Associates today so we can help.
Any Further Questions?
If you are facing the possibility of sex crime charges, then it is important to speak to an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. At Grabel & Associates, our attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience in successfully defending sex crime cases all over the state of Michigan. We offer a FREE consultation to anyone with questions relating to a possible or existing sex crime charge. Feel free to contact us on our 24/7 defense line at 1-800-342-7896. You can also contact us online or come visit us at one of our three statewide locations. We are standing by to help you now.