By DEBRA HAIGHT
ST. JOSEPH – There’s more to the job of the county prosecutor than trying a case before jurors in the court, just ask Berrien County Prosecutor Michael Sepic. He not only tries select cases himself, he oversees an office of 19 assistant prosecutors and has input on everything from the filing of charges to offering plea deals and handling appeals.
Sepic has been the county prosecutor since 2013 when then Prosecutor Art Cotter was appointed a Berrien County trial judge. A native of the Detroit area, Sepic has been a member of the prosecutor’s office here in Berrien County since 1988.
Being a lawyer wasn’t a family tradition for him. “There were no lawyers in my family,” he said. “For some reason when I was going to college in the late 1960s, I had the notion and interest in the legal aid environment. My interests evolved when I went through law school.”
Sepic graduated from Michigan State University and then the Cooley Law School. His first job after law school was as a law clerk and bailiff in Eaton County. He then opened a practice in Eaton Rapids where he handled a variety of cases from divorce, wills and real estate to bankruptcy and criminal matters.
After six years in his own practice, he realized he liked handling criminal matters best and took a job as an assistant prosecutor in Calhoun County. He was there for three years before he came to Berrien County.
“I realized that I liked criminal prosecution and using the rules of evidence to make a case,” he said. “Private practice can be extremely difficult and there’s a real tough fine line to walk sometimes from an ethical standpoint.”
“I fell into prosecution and I’ve enjoyed it,” he added. “I enjoy all the dynamics including what we can do for victims and the community as well as the intrigue of the courtroom.”
He hasn’t been in the courtroom as much in recent years although he still handles some cases such as those involving Eugene Anderson and Rev. Edward Pinkney. “But every day I’m talking to my assistants about their cases and the dynamics of how it will play out if they go to court,” he said. “I still have my finger on the pulse of what’s going on.”
He noted that there’s a lot of factors involved in prosecuting a case and a lot of work that takes place outside of the courtroom. “We look at the strength of a case and what the defense is likely to be if goes before a jury,” he said. “All of those things are part of the dynamics of whether we offer a plea agreement.”
While he’s been involved in numerous high profile cases, they aren’t necessarily some of his most memorable ones. “Some have been high profile, some not,” he said. “As a general rule, some of the more difficult and memorable cases for me have been the ones involving children and criminal sexual conduct.”
“If the person is an in home perpetrator, taking action prevents further endangerment of the children in the home,” he added. “If it’s someone from outside the home, we’re also protecting the public.”
Sometimes a good look at the evidence requires him to dismiss charges. That happened recently when the investigation showed that the person arrested likely couldn’t have committed the crime. “We discovered cell tower records that showed it was unlikely he could have done it,” he said. “It was hard to dismiss, but it was the right decision.”
Sepic believes strongly in the rule of law and role of lawyers in maintaining the justice system. “The rule of law is built into the fabric of this country,” he said. “Everyone has a right to a defense even if it’s a matter of making the prosecution meet the burden of proof.”
He also thinks that the media plays an important role in the justice system. “I honestly feel that the media is an important part of the criminal justice system,” he said. “Some might think they’re a nuisance from time to time but they are an asset to the country’s freedom.”
His philosophy has been to be available to answer media inquiries and provide what information he can. His office primarily sends out press releases when there is some indication of media interest or in response to a specific event.
As for his time away from work, Sepic said he likes to play golf and spend time with his grandchildren who live both here and in Texas.
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