9/13/13 - A defense attorney seeking to overturn a ruling that disqualified him from representing two women charged with illegally selling synthetic marijuana in Genoa Township has taken his case to the stateâs highest court. Madison Heights attorney Timothy Corr filed the application Thursday state for the Michigan Supreme Court to overturn a November ruling by 53rd District Court Judge Suzanne Geddis. She ruled it would be a conflict of interest to simultaneously represent two clients - the owner of Smokers Depot, 42-year-old Ronda Lee Roszak as well as the storeâs manager, 28-year-old Melissa Ann Dzierwa. The ruling came after the Livingston County Prosecutorâs Office said it planned to offer a plea deal to one of the two defendants. Corr argued that the decision was a violation of his clients Sixth Amendment rights to select representation of their choice, but the ruling was upheld in July by the Michigan Court of Appeals which said courts must, ââ¦balance the defendantâs right to counsel of choice against the publicâs interest in the prompt and efficient administration of justice.â Corr said both women previously consulted with separate attorneys and had no plans to accept a plea deal. They maintain that the seized substances had been purchased at a trade show, along with a lab report indicating it did not contain any illegal chemicals. It will now be up the state Supreme Court to consider the application and either schedule it for oral arguments, reject it or send it back to a lower court for further consideration. (JK)
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