P-CEP Graduation Ceremony Week: How to Fight a Felony Charge Before Your Senior Walks the Stage

P-CEP graduation week — the formal ceremonies for Canton, Plymouth, and Salem High Schools — falls in mid-June. For most seniors, this is the proudest week of their lives so far. For a small number, it is the most stressful: a felony charge filed in the days before graduation, with the question of whether they will walk the stage hanging in the balance.

This guide is written for the families dealing with that situation right now.

Why the Last Two Weeks of School Are High-Risk

Multiple factors compound in the final weeks of senior year: end-of-year parties, prom and after-prom culture, the breakdown of normal routines, and the loosening of typical adult supervision. Add stimulants used for AP exams or finals, alcohol at backyard parties, and proms-turned-hotel stays in Detroit, and the volume of felony exposure goes up sharply.

The most common pre-graduation felony charges seen in Plymouth-Canton:

• Possession of controlled substances (MCL 333.7403),
• Delivery of controlled substances — including sharing Adderall, Vyvanse, or other prescription stimulants (MCL 333.7401),
• Felonious assault (MCL 750.82),
• Identity theft for fake IDs containing real people's information (MCL 445.65),
• First-degree retail fraud at $1,000+ (MCL 750.356c),
• Malicious destruction of property at $1,000+ (MCL 750.377a),
• Resisting and obstructing police officers (MCL 750.81d),
• OWI causing serious injury or death (MCL 257.625(4)–(5)).

What “Felony” Means at 17 or 18

In Michigan, a 17-year-old is treated as an adult in criminal court (Michigan raised the age to 18 for misdemeanors but adult court can still apply for many felonies). A felony conviction at this age affects:

• College admissions (many schools require disclosure of felonies),
• Federal financial aid and certain scholarships,
• Future professional licensing (medicine, law, nursing, teaching, finance, military),
• Voting rights during any period of incarceration,
• Firearm rights,
• Immigration status if the student is not a U.S. citizen.

The Holmes Youthful Trainee Act (HYTA)

Michigan's HYTA program (MCL 762.11 et seq.) is one of the most powerful tools available for young defendants between 17 and 25. Under HYTA, a court can assign youthful trainee status that defers proceedings, places the defendant on probation, and — if successful — results in the case being dismissed without a public criminal record. The conviction does not appear on a regular background check.

HYTA does have important exclusions: it does not apply to certain serious offenses including major drug delivery cases, criminal sexual conduct cases, life-maximum offenses, and traffic offenses. But it covers a substantial portion of the pre-graduation felony exposures listed above.

Crucially, HYTA must be requested. The prosecutor's office can object. Securing HYTA assignment requires informed, early advocacy from a defense attorney.

First-Time Drug Diversion (MCL 333.7411)

For first-time controlled substance possession charges, Michigan also offers diversion under MCL 333.7411 that can result in dismissal without conviction. This is separate from HYTA and can apply even to defendants outside the HYTA age range. It is one of the most effective tools for the AP-exam-Adderall fact pattern.

What About Graduation Itself?

Whether your child can walk the stage depends on the school district's policies, the nature of the charge, and bond conditions. Some considerations:

• An arrest alone does not automatically disqualify a student from graduation in P-CCS, but school policies vary.
• School discipline runs separately from criminal court. Discuss the school disciplinary process with counsel.
• Bond conditions sometimes include no-contact orders that affect attendance at school events.
• If your child has been suspended or expelled by the school, that is appealable through the district's procedures.

What to Do in the First 48 Hours

• Do not let your child be interviewed by police, school officials, or prosecutors without a lawyer present.
• Do not consent to searches of phones, lockers, or vehicles.
• Preserve any prescription bottles, medical records, or relevant documents.
• Take screenshots of relevant social media posts before they disappear.
• Identify witnesses while their memory is fresh.
• Hire a defense attorney before the first court date.

Where Cases Are Heard

Felony cases in Plymouth, Canton, and Northville begin with arraignment in the 35th District Court, followed by a probable cause conference and preliminary examination. If the case is bound over, it moves to Wayne County Circuit Court in Detroit. For juveniles under 17, the Wayne County Juvenile Court (Family Division) has jurisdiction.

What Defense Looks Like

Common defense strategies in pre-graduation felony cases:

• Challenging the search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment.
• Challenging identification when multiple students were involved.
• Challenging the amount or intent element of possession charges.
• Negotiating early reductions to misdemeanors before charges are formally filed.
• Pursuing HYTA or MCL 333.7411 diversion.
• Negotiating delayed sentencing to allow educational milestones (like graduation) to be completed before final disposition.

This Doesn't Have to End a Future

The single best predictor of how a pre-graduation felony case ends is how early the family acts. The students who walk away with their college plans intact almost always had a defense attorney involved within 24-48 hours of the charge. Aaron J. Boria has handled HYTA cases, drug diversion petitions, and felony defenses for Plymouth-Canton seniors. Call Boria Law at (734) 453-7806 immediately if your child is facing charges this graduation season.