The Fair Michigan Foundation and Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald last week announced the further expansion of the Fair Michigan Justice Project (FMJP) into Oakland County, the fourth county now covered by the program. FMJP is a program designed to assist Michigan law enforcement officers and prosecutors in solving serious crimes against lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender persons. Now in its fifth year, FMJP already operates in Wayne, Ingham, and Washtenaw Counties in partnership with their county prosecutor’s offices.
McDonald stated, “I am thrilled to bring Fair Michigan’s vital expertise in seeking justice for LGBTQ crime victims into Oakland County for the first time. This innovative partnership will help train assistant prosecutors in navigating cases with LGBTQ victims, a critical step in our ongoing fight to ensure the criminal justice system sees, hears, and delivers justice for marginalized communities. This is our mission, and I am grateful to Chief Dare, President Maguire, and the entire Fair Michigan team for making this partnership possible.”
McDonald appointed Tricia Dare, chief of Oakland County’s Special Victims Unit, as the Fair Michigan prosecutor. Dare will prosecute criminal offenses committed against the LGBTQ community. Fair Michigan Trustee & Legal Services Director Victoria Shackelford and Director of Transgender Outreach and Advocacy Julisa Abad will conduct a training with the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office on a date to be announced later this year to advise the office on issues related to dealing with LGBTQ crime victims and witnesses.
Fair Michigan President Alanna Maguire expressed her thanks for the new partnership. “It has long been my goal to expand our project into Oakland County – Michigan’s second largest county and one with a sizable LGBTQ population. I welcome the progressive leadership of Prosecutor Karen McDonald and her office with its focus on smart-on-crime policies and initiatives, and I want to thank her for recognizing the value of our Fair Michigan Justice Project. We are eager to work together.”
Last week’s announcement represents the second expansion of the Justice Project in one month. On March 16, Fair Michigan announced the program’s implementation in Washtenaw County. Currently, over one-third of Michigan residents live in counties served by the Justice Project.
Fair Michigan is a non-profit corporation seeking to end discrimination against persons based on sex, sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity. For additional information, visit FairMichigan.org.
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