Special Report
ON THE COVER
Bagdaders Leila Journey
Nathaniel Abraham's attorney shares the
twists and turns of his young client's 10-year defense.
Judith Doner Berne
Special to the Jewish News
est Bloomfield attorney Daniel Bagdade has
been in Nathaniel Abraham's corner from the
get-go.
"Mr. Bagdade was always there for me Abraham says.
"Whenever I needed him, he had my back?"
Nathaniel's mom, Gloria Abraham, agrees."We were
able to communicate with him — he's a down-to-earth
guy," she says.
"I was absolutely dumbfounded right from the begin-
ning," recalls Bagdade, 57, who accompanied Abraham on a
journey no other child in the United States has ever made.
Abraham is the youngest person in the nation's history
to be charged as an adult with murder. And he's the only
child to have been behind bars from age 1 1 until 21.
When he was assigned the case, Bagdade thought the
birth date was a typographical error. He couldn't believe
the client he was representing on a murder charge was 11
years old.
.
But when Abraham was charged with the killing of
Ronnie Greene Jr. near a convenience store in Pontiac
on Oct. 29, 1997, he came under a new state law that
took effect that year. It allows the prosecution to decide
whether juveniles accused of serious crimes should be
tried as adults.
"The statute is flawed;' Bagdade says, by giving the
prosecution unfettered discretion with no minimum age.
Oakland County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Deborah
Carley differs. "It's a wonderful alternative for the public,
even for the juvenile she says.
But both attorneys note the statute has never been used
again in Oakland County.
Bagdade is proud that Chief Probate Judge Eugene Moore
picked him to represent Abraham. "He knew me. I had
practiced before Judge Moore for many years. I love doing
juvenile law. Early on, I started representing children?'
Bagdade has his own private practice in criminal
defense law, but also takes juvenile court assignments.
They are mostly child neglect cases or with kids who have
gotten into various kinds of trouble.
Coming Together
But Abraham's case was the first time Bagdade had ever
represented a young person accused of murder.
"In 30-plus years of practicing law, I've never had a
case remotely like this," Bagdade says.
"This was a pretty high-profile case — he could have
gotten rid of it;' Gloria Abraham says. "He was a great
support system for Nate. As far as the legal aspect, he did
what he could do. He stood up for him. He hung in there."
Bagdade says, "Nate and I have never had a problem in
the relationship since Day 1. They brought in this little
boy — he barely reached my waist. He sat on a chair and
his feet didn't touch the ground. He had a glazed look in
his eye. He was totally clueless?'
"He answered my questions by shaking his head yes
or no," Bagdade says. Then, "he just broke out in tears.
He was truly inconsolable. He was so disoriented he kept
saying he wanted to go home. I have never felt so helpless
before or since?'
At the beginning, Abraham says, "I never knew what
Bagdade's Legal Journey on page 16
IN
February 15 * 2007
15