PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN V STEPHEN JAMIESON, 436 MICH 61 (1990): Brief Amicus Curiae State Appellate Defender Office and Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan

This brief amicus curiae was submitted in 1990 to the Michigan Supreme Court during the proceedings of People v. Stephen Jamieson, a case concerning the scope of the criminal sexual conduct statute and the admissibility of expert testimony regarding child victim behavior. The document was filed by the State Appellate Defender Office and the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan, two organizations dedicated to protecting the rights of the accused and ensuring robust appellate representation within the Michigan judicial system.

The legal arguments presented in the brief reflect the specific tensions of late 20th-century Michigan jurisprudence, particularly the debate over the procedural safeguards necessary when admitting scientific or psychological evidence in sensitive criminal matters. By intervening in the Jamieson case, these organizations sought to provide the Court with a perspective focused on due process and the protection of constitutional rights, aiming to influence the standards by which expert testimony would be vetted in future appellate and trial court contexts.