Lawyers In Michigan

Search continues for lottery winner's assets

Detroit — A Wayne County judge continued his temporary freeze Tuesday on a Michigan Lottery millionaire's fortune while lawyers representing the widow of a man he is accused of killing search for the location and extent of Freddie Young's wealth.

In the five days between the May 7 shooting death of his daughter's landlord, 45-year-old Greg McNicol, and Young's arrest at his U.S. Post Office job in Romulus, the 62-year-old apparently converted about $600,000 to cashier's checks in his wife's name. Detroit Police seized the checks along with about $145,000 in cash, according to widow Katie Scartezini's lawyer.

"He obviously was trying to get his money into a way that would allow him to travel or hide it," said Attorney David Christensen. "We did identify some of the assets and the judge is allowing us until the next hearing on July 14 to look for more."

Young, who faces the possibility of life in prison without parole if convicted of first-degree premeditated murder, just three months before the incident hit a $46.5 million jackpot with his 13-member lottery club. After taxes, an even split would have amounted to $1.57 million.

Christensen filed a wrongful death lawsuit early this month against Young and Circuit Judge Brian Sullivan granted an emergency request to bar Young from, "transferring, dissipating or otherwise squandering his current assets."

Another judge set Friday as the time to announce whether she will grant Young's unusual request for bond on his criminal charges.

Circuit Judge Linda Parker heard arguments last week from Young's lawyers who said his previously clean record and ability to post a sizable bond should outweigh normal practice in Michigan to keep defendants behind bars who are accused of first degree murder.

Young is accused of shooting McNicol in the groin from point-blank range in front of numerous witnesses, and then driving away. Authorities said his daughter was two months behind on rent and had been warned about unruly visitors and damage to her apartment.

Witnesses have testified that Young claimed McNicol had disrespected his daughter.

Young's lawyer says he may have been defending himself when he stepped from his pickup truck with a legally permitted gun in his hand, and the victim walked quickly in his direction with a beer can or bottle in his hand. Authorities have said McNicol was unarmed, but Young's lawyers believe the beer container was seen by Young as a weapon.

National Surplus of Lawyers: Where Does Michigan Stand? - SBM Blog

The New York Times Economix column this week is " The Lawyer Surplus: State By State ."  According to a study by Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. , only the D.C. bar has a significant deficit of lawyers, at minus 345; two states -- Wisconsin and Nebraska --  are short by 14 and 3 lawyers, respectively.  New York is the most "overlawyered" state by the study's calculations, with an excess of 7,687.  The study pegs Michigan's surplus at 162, at the low end of the spectrum for the size of our state, and well behind our neighboring states. 

The study also calculates the median wages of lawyers state by state. It puts Michigan's median wage at $35.22 an hour. The District of Columbia at the high end of the spectrum at $70.96, and Montana pulls up the rear at $24.96.

The New York Times Economix column this week is " The Lawyer Surplus: State By State ."  According to a study by Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. , only the D.C. bar has a significant deficit of lawyers, at minus 345; two states -- Wisconsin and Nebraska --  are short by 14 and 3 lawyers, respectively.  New York is the most "overlawyered" state by the study's calculations, with an excess of 7,687.  The study pegs Michigan's surplus at 162, at the low end of the spectrum for the size of our state, and well behind our neighboring states. 

The study also calculates the median wages of lawyers state by state. It puts Michigan's median wage at $35.22 an hour. The District of Columbia at the high end of the spectrum at $70.96, and Montana pulls up the rear at $24.96.

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