John Freeman - Bloomfield Hills, MI

Overview

Awards and Honors

Super Lawyers® Selectees

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John Freeman included in a Super Lawyers® list

Education

Current Employment Position(s)

• Attorney

Past Positions

• United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan, Detroit, MI, Assistant United States Attorney, Criminal Division, 2000 - 2007
• United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan, Detroit, MI, General Crimes Unit, 2000 - 2007
• United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan, Detroit, MI, Top Secret (SCI) Security Clearance, 2001 - 2007
• United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan, Detroit, MI, Immigration and Border Coordinator, Anti-Terrorism Task Force, 2001 - 2004
• United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan, Detroit, MI, Regional Quad-Chair, Project North Star, 2001 - 2004
• United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan, Detroit, MI, Representative, United States and Canada Cross-Border Crime Forum
• United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan, Detroit, MI, Founding Member, Detroit / Windsor Integrated Border Enforcement Team, 2001 - 2004
• New York County District Attorney's Office, New York, NY, Assistant District Attorney, Trial Division, 1993 - 2000
• New York County District Attorney's Office, New York, NY, Homicide Cadet, 1999 - 2000
• New York County District Attorney's Office, New York, NY, Welfare Fraud Unit, 1996 - 1997
• New York County District Attorney's Office, New York, NY, Supervisor, Early Case Assessment Bureau, 1999 - 2000
• New York County District Attorney's Office, New York, NY, Misdemeanor Assistant, 1993 - 1995
• New York County District Attorney's Office, New York, NY, Felony Assistant, 1995 - 2000
• Hon. Edmund V. Ludwig, Judge, United States District Court, Philadelphia, PA, Judicial Clerk, 1992 - 1993
• High School Mock Trial Coach, Teaching Assistant, Trial Advocacy II, 1993

References

• https://www.ocba.org/?pg=criminal_law_committee

Representative Clients

• JUVENILE CLIENT PLEADS TO MURDER 1ST DEGREE FOR SHOOTING WHEN 16 YEARS OLD, 3 YEAR LATER CLIENT SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES JUVENILE INCARCERATION AND PROBATION – REHABILITATION COMPLETE. County: Wayne City: Detroit Investigative Agency: Detroit Police Department Prosecuting Agency: Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Original Charge: Murder in the 1st Degree Time Frame: December 2022 - March 2026 Summary: Our 16-year-old client shot and killed another teenager in Detroit. Mr. Freeman’s extensive investigation, litigation – including a hotly contested preliminary examination, and negotiation enabled our client to plead guilty to Murder 1st degree with the ability to only remain under the court’s jurisdiction until age 21 with partial incarceration and intensive probation. Part of the deal included provisions that if our client violated probation, the court would have no choice but to sentence the client to decades in prison. Our client performed flawlessly while incarcerated and on probation. After our client convincingly demonstrated his rehabilitation, Mr. Freeman successfully convinced the Court to terminate our client’s sentence early – at age 19.

• CLIENT'S $1 MILLION BOND REDUCED, CLIENT RETURNS HOME TO FIGHT CHARGES County: Washtenaw City: Ann Arbor Investigative Agency: Ann Arbor Police Department Prosecuting Agency: Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office Original Charge: Criminal Sexual Conduct 3rd Degree - 6 counts, up to 15 years prison Time Frame: March 10, 2026 Summary: While being represented by another law firm, our client spent nearly 9 months in jail on a $1 million cash/surety bond with no 10% alternative. Shortly after taking over the case, Mr. Freeman fought for a bond reduction. After a contested hearing in the 14A-1 District Court, Mr. Freeman achieved the seemingly impossible: the Court reduced our client’s bond to a more reasonable amount with a 10% alternative. After posting bond, our client returned home to fight the case without being confined to the Washtenaw County Jail.

• CLIENT FACING LIFE IN PRISON FOR ALLEGED CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT IN THE FIRST DEGREE PLEADS NO CONTEST TO MISDEMEANOR ASSAULT AND FACES UP TO 1 YEAR IN JAIL County: Leelanau City: Suttons Bay Investigative Agency: Michigan State Police Prosecuting Agency: Leelanau County Prosecutor’s Office Original Charge: Criminal Sexual Conduct 1st Degree, up to life in prison Time Frame: November 2024 - March 2026 Summary: Client originally investigated for and charged with Criminal Sexual Conduct in the 1st Degree, based on an alleged sexual encounter with person at a remote deer hunting camp outside of Traverse City, MI in November 2024. After a contested Persona Protection Order hearing in the Petosky Circuit Court in 2025, the Court issued a no-contact order, which was expected. Thereafter, Prosecutor’s ultimately charged our client with Criminal Sexual Conduct in the First Degree in 2026. Shockingly, Prosecutors sought to have our client held without a bond. Over the Prosecutor’s objection, Mr. Freeman successfully argued for a reasonable bond, and our client was released. During the sometimes-contentious negotiations that followed, Mr. Freeman successfully secured a misdemeanor no contest plea deal to assault. Our client did not admit guilt. Instead, he is not fighting a misdemeanor conviction. This will keep our client out of state prison. Also, our client will not be a registered sex offender, nor will he face the many adverse consequences of being a felon.

• FELONY ASSAULT OF A POLICE OFFICER CAUSING INJURY DISMISSED AT PRELIMINARY EXAM – JUDGE RULES OFFICER’S VERSION “DIDN’T HAPPEN” County: Wayne City: Detroit Investigative Agency: Detroit Police Department Prosecuting Agency: Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Original Charge: Felony Assault on Police Officer Causing Injury Time Frame: February 2026 - March 2026 Summary: After our client called 911 to report a man breaking into our client’s house, DPD officers arrived and escalated the situation by unjustifiably putting hands on our client. At the preliminary examination, a DPD officer testified that our client assaulted the officer. Following Mr. Freeman’s detailed and penetrating cross examination, which included playing the body worn camera footage, the Court ruled that the Officer’s version of events under oath “DIDN’T HAPPEN”. Case dismissed.

• CLIENT FACING LIFE IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER (SHOOTING) HAS CASE DISMISSED County: Wayne City: Livonia Investigative Agency: Livonia Police Department Prosecuting Agency: Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Original Charge: Attempted Murder and Weapons Offenses, up to life in prison Time Frame: January 2026 - March 2026 Summary: Client was originally charged with Attempted Murder for allegedly shooting at another person outside a Livonia 7-11 store. Despite turning himself in, our client found himself in the Wayne County Jail after the Court initially set a $500,000.00 bond without a 10 % alternative. Mr. Freeman successfully argued for and obtained a bond reduction with a 10% alternative. This ensured our client’s release from the Wayne County Jail. In the ensuing weeks that followed, the Law Office of John Freeman, in conjunction with leading private investigators in Metro-Detroit, worked the case – including a detailed investigation into the credibility of the Prosecutor’s witnesses. Mr. Freeman’s and the investigator’s diligence and hard work ultimately led to the case being dismissed on the day of the preliminary examination.

• CLIENT FACING YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR DEALING METHAMPHETAMINE SENTENCED TO PROBATION County: Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan City: Bay City Investigative Agency: Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force / DEA / Bureau of Indian Affairs Prosecuting Agency: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan Original Charge: Federal Possession and Distribution of Methamphetamine Time Frame: March 2026 Summary: Following a Grand Jury indictment for distribution of methamphetamine, which could have led to decades in federal prison, our client pled guilty and was sentence to 4 years of probation, thanks to Mr. Freeman’s diligent and strategic efforts.

• Charges Dismissed A Troy man’s carrying a concealed weapon (ice pick) charge from Somerset Mall was dismissed at preliminary examination after Mr. Freeman’s extensive cross-examination of police officers demonstrated the suspect had no intent to use the item as a weapon.

• Sentence Reduced A client facing mandatory life in federal prison received only 7 years following Mr. Freeman’s successful representation in Detroit federal court.

• Case Dismissed A Downriver woman charged with carrying a concealed pistol in her yoga pants has her case dismissed at preliminary examination after Mr. Freeman successfully established on cross-examination that the police could plainly observe the outline of the gun, thereby defeating the prosecutor’s claim that it was concealed.

• Case Dismissed The case against a U of M student charged with sexual assault and facing prison was dismissed at preliminary examination in Ann Arbor District Court after Mr. Freeman’s cross-examination of the State’s only witness.

Bar Admissions

• Michigan
• New York
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan
• U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan
• U.S. District Court Southern District of New York
• U.S. District Court Western District of New York
• U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit

Other Affiliations

• United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) (Member, Legal Advisory Board)
• Institute of Continuing Legal Education, State Bar of Michigan (Member, Criminal Law Advisory Board)
• USCCA (Member, Critical Response Team)
• State Bar of Michigan (Contributor, Presenter, and Moderator, Institute of Continuing Legal Education)
• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (Member, White Collar Crime Committee and Health Care Fraud Subcommittee)
• Oakland County Bar Foundation (Fellow)
• Wayne County Criminal Defense Bar Association (Member)
• Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan (Member)
• American Bar Association (Member)
• Federalist Society (Member)
• Michigan Coalition of Responsible Gun Owners (Member)
• National Rifle Association (NRA) (Patriot Life Member)
• NRA Business Alliance (Member)
• National Shooting Sports Foundation (Member)
• Second Amendment Foundation (Member)
• Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network (Member and Participating Attorney)
• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (Member)
• Federal Bar Association, Eastern Michigan Chapter (Member)
• Oakland County Bar Association (Member)
• Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (Member)
• National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys (Member)
• Troy, Michigan Chamber of Commerce (Member)
• National Rifle Association (Member)
• North American Hunting Club (Member)
• State Bar of Michigan Criminal Jurisprudence & Practice Committee Member
• Armed American Radio with Mark Walters (Guest)