Saginaw Defenders Office

08/06/2026

Melissa and Brooklyn were proud to represent the Saginaw Defenders Office at the East Side Soup Kitchen by hosting a community resource table.

Our goal was not only to connect individuals with valuable community resources, but also to educate community members about their legal rights and the services our office provides. We believe that access to information is empowering, and everyone deserves to understand their rights and know where to turn for help.

Thank you to the East Side Soup Kitchen for welcoming us and for the incredible work you do every day to serve our community. We are grateful for the opportunity to meet people where they are, answer questions, build relationships, and help ensure that everyone has access to the resources and information they need.

08/03/2026

📢 Community Information📢

If you or someone you know has an active Friend of the Court child support bench warrant, the Saginaw County Friend of the Court and FACT are hosting a Bench Warrant Amnesty Day during Child Support Awareness Month.

Please note: The Saginaw Defenders Office is sharing this information as a community resource only. Our office is not involved in organizing, sponsoring, or participating in this event and cannot answer questions about eligibility or the amnesty process.

If you believe this event may apply to you, please contact the Saginaw County Friend of the Court directly for additional information.

Sharing community resources helps ensure our community is aware of opportunities that may benefit them.

Saginaw County Friend of the Court is hosting a Bench Warrant Amnesty Day at our FACT Saginaw hub.

Dates: August 6th, 2026, 4:00pm to 6:00pm and August 7th, 2026, 11:00am to 1:00pm
Location: FACT Saginaw, Unity Room, 3605 Davenport Ave, Saginaw, MI 48602

See flyer for full details.

07/29/2026

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our incredible community partners who joined us for the Second Annual Saginaw Defenders Office Community Resource Fair at Bridgton Place Townhomes.

All of us coming together to bring valuable services directly into the community made this event a success. By meeting people where they are, we help remove barriers like transportation and make it easier for individuals and families to access the resources they need. And last but not least they also had some fun!

This event showcases what can happen when organizations work together with a shared commitment to serving our community. Thank you for your time, your dedication, and your partnership. We are so grateful for each of you and look forward to continuing this important work together to make Saginaw a stronger community.

07/22/2026

The Saginaw Defenders Office is hosting the Second Annual Bridgton Place Community Resource Fair next Wednesday, July 29th from 11am-2pm.

This free event is designed for the residents of Bridgton Place - aka the townhouses - but the public is welcome to come check it out. We have close to 40 agencies participating as well as fun things for the kids such as Cruise Control Mobile Gaming. The Saginaw Fire Department will have its smokehouse to provide hands on fire safety education. The Saginaw Defenders Office is striving to provide resources and meet our community where they are at.

07/15/2026

The Saginaw Defenders Office is at the 4th Annual CAP Block Party talking to people about their rights. Please come check us out at the Mission in the City Park on the corner of Janes and 7th⚖️

07/01/2026

Please join the Saginaw Defenders Office in congratulating Dan Kane on being officially admitted to the State Bar of Michigan!

Over the past three years, Dan has been an important part of our office, beginning his journey with us as a student intern from Michigan State University College of Law. Throughout his time here, he has demonstrated professionalism, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to advocating for our clients and serving the people of Saginaw County.

Watching Dan grow from a law student into a licensed attorney has been incredibly rewarding. His admission to the Bar represents years of hard work, perseverance, and dedication to the pursuit of justice. We are proud to have been a part of his journey and are excited to see the positive impact he will continue to make in our community.

Congratulations, Dan! Your Saginaw Defenders Office family is so incredibly proud of you and wishes you continued success as you begin this exciting new chapter. Be ready Dan, your mailbox stack is about to grow exponentially⚖️

06/17/2026

Thank you, United Way of Saginaw County!

We are incredibly grateful for community partners like United Way of Saginaw County who continue to invest in the well-being of our clients and our community.

Their generous donation of Dottie Bags and personal hygiene kits will help meet immediate needs for individuals navigating the legal system. Access to basic necessities can make a meaningful difference during challenging times, and these resources will help us better support those we serve.

At the Saginaw Defenders Office, we understand that effective advocacy extends beyond the courtroom. Through partnerships with organizations like United Way, we can connect clients with resources that promote dignity, stability, and success.

Thank you for your support, your partnership, and your commitment to strengthening our community. Together, we are making a difference.

💛💗 Community Support 💗💛

We were happy to support the efforts of the Saginaw Defenders Office.

We helped support their efforts by donating Dottie Bags which are small zipper pouches filled with feminine hygiene products and personal hygiene kits. These items will support their clients who are receiving legal services. 👏

Thanks to Melissa and the Saginaw Defenders Office and their crew for helping to support our community! 🙌❤️

05/20/2026

🎓 Congratulations, Tierra! 🎓

The Saginaw Defenders Office would like to recognize and congratulate Tierra Pringle, Salutatorian of the Saginaw United High School Class of 2026.

Tierra has been part of our Law Club for the past three years, and during that time, she has grown into a true student leader. She is thoughtful, driven, compassionate, and wise beyond her years. Her dedication to her education, her peers, and her future is something to be proud of.

Through Law Club, Tierra has consistently shown leadership, confidence, and a genuine interest in understanding the legal system and how it impacts people’s lives. We are especially proud to see her continuing her education at Saginaw Valley State University, where she plans to study criminal justice and forensic psychology. These programs are a great fit for her!

At the Saginaw Defenders Office, we believe investing in young people is one of the most meaningful ways we can serve our community. Tierra is a wonderful example of why that work matters. We are so proud of everything she has accomplished and cannot wait to see all that she will do next.

Congratulations, Tierra your future is bright!🖤🩶⚖️

"I didn't have a traditional high school experience, changing from one school to another. We started at Arthur Hill and then went to Saginaw United High School when it opened. I put that in my commencement speech, about how changes are a part of life, and a lot of changes are for the better. I think this was one of those changes. I’ve had so many opportunities being here. I’m a student board of education member and part of the youth ambassador program. Our convocation this year was so long because the Class of ‘26 had so much money in scholarships, and that’s because of United. I’m grateful to all the people that helped me, especially my mom, my teachers, my counselors, and my friends. Thinking back on it, it makes me kind of emotional and I hope that when I thank them during my speech at graduation, I don't cry.

To incoming freshmen I would say, ‘Please, please, pleaseeeee…just do your work’. Please do not slack. If you fall behind freshman year, you’re gonna spend the rest of high school playing catch-up. Be careful who you hang out with. You really need to prioritize yourself, your grades, and make sure you're on top.

After graduation, I'm going to Saginaw Valley State University for criminal justice and forensic psychology. I've always been interested in human behavior—it just fascinates me. I watched Criminal Minds all the time when I was young. Maybe I should not have been watching it as much as I was, or as young as I was, but it always fascinated me. It's interesting and kind of scary in a way, but I want to do it because I want to help people.

I feel like you kind of find yourself throughout high school. You're gonna make some bad decisions, and that's okay. It's a part of learning, and once you learn from it, you'll see that it changed you. You're gonna have some learning experiences, you're gonna do some things wrong, and that's fine. Take your GPA seriously, but also remember that a GPA doesn’t define you, good or bad. You’re bigger than a GPA."

—Tierra Pringle, Salutatorian, Saginaw United Class of 2026

05/19/2026

Congratulations, Calvin!

The Saginaw Defenders Office is proud to recognize Calvin for his accomplishments and the outstanding young man he continues to become. Calvin has been part of our Saginaw United High School Law Club for the past three years, and during that time, we have watched him grow as a student, a leader, and a young person with a bright future ahead.

Calvin has consistently shown dedication, respect, curiosity, and a willingness to learn. He represents exactly why youth programs, mentorship, and community partnerships matter. When young people are given opportunities to explore their interests, build confidence, and connect with positive role models, they can truly thrive.

Our office is deeply committed to serving and investing in our community, both inside and outside the courtroom. Supporting programs like Law Club allows us to build meaningful relationships with young people, encourage future leaders, and show students that they belong in spaces where justice, advocacy, and leadership are happening.

We are so proud of you, Calvin, and we cannot wait to see all that you accomplish next. Congratulations!

"After I graduate, I'm going to the University of Michigan for biochemistry. Ever since I was little, science has been my go-to thing in school. Whenever I find out we're doing a science project, I get happy. I was really fascinated by Bill Nye the Science Guy. Every time a video of Bill Nye would come on, I was the quietest kid in the room. I was hyper-focused—nothing would draw my attention away from that screen, and my excitement about science increased when we started doing projects in seventh and eighth grade. When I got to United, I loved chemistry and last semester, we got to do things like dissect frogs in biology. After that, I started looking into careers that combine both chemistry and biology, and that’s when I found biochemistry. There’s a lot of hands-on work in biochemistry, which is personally something I love to do.

Saginaw United High School presented a lot of opportunities for us. I'm an SAE student: Saginaw Academy of Excellence. It's a dual enrollment program with Delta College where we take Delta classes while we're in high school. I started my sophomore year and I’ve found it really helpful: I get to go to college already having college experience. Besides the academic benefits, it teaches you things like time management. We also had a program called the Pathway to Excellence, which took kids from every grade level to do college tours and stuff like that.

To a new freshman, I would say ‘focus’. You need to really be focused. There’s a lot of fun things to do in high school, but especially your freshman year, you’ve got to focus on your academics. I’m not saying don’t enjoy yourself, but freshman year sets the tone for the rest of high school. If you had a strong freshman year and you start to struggle later on, you’ve got a little bit of a cushion. But if you have a really bad freshman year, it’s really hard to come back from.

But I also want to say that you don’t have to just try to be like somebody with a 4.0. There are kids here who have gone through so much, with the craziest backstories, who have gone through things you couldn’t fathom going through and have completely changed their lives. Seeing students like that makes you think, if they can do that, I can get through the littel bumps in the road. I want to be more like them.

The teachers here put a lot of pressure on us to do well, and being able to push through and succeed really made me feel proud.”

—Calvin Gray, Saginaw United Class of 2026