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Michael Jackson-Bolanos in court on Friday
A Wayne County Circuit judge on Friday ruled that the prosecution can't retry Michael Jackson-Bolanos in the 2023 murder of downtown Detroit synagogue president Samatha Woll, saying it essentially amounts to double jeopardy under a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
Judge Margaret Van Houten dropped the two deadlocked counts from last month -- felony murder and first-degree home invasion. She cited a 2009 Supreme Court ruling, concluding the deadlocked charges were factually too similar to the counts of first-degree premeditated murder or second-degree murder which the jury acquitted on.
"I can't ignore precedent that's been set by the U.S. Supreme Court," the judge said, noting that she disgreed with the case law.
She did, however, sentence Jackson-Bolalnos, 29, to 18 months to 15 years in prison for lying to investigators in the murder case-- the only charge the jury convicted him of. She said the sentence was based on his criminal history, the number of lies he told investigators and other factors. She gave him credit for 243 days served and remanded him back to prison.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said it will appeal the ruling dismissing the two charges to the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Woll's parents were both in the courtroom during the procedure.
