Harold Gurewitz Bio

Harold Gurewitz has years of experience representing people and businesses in state and federal criminal justice systems. He served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan early in his career and as Chief of the Economic Unit for the office.

After entering private practice, he successfully defended a high level union official charged with corruption under the federal RICO statute. He had the privilege to represent Coleman A. Young, the first African American Mayor of the City of Detroit, during several federal and state investigations focusing on allegations of corruption in city government. Mayor Young was never charged with any offense.

In 2000, Mr. Gurewitz obtained dismissal of federal racketeering charges of RICO street-gang related murder in Detroit. Federal prosecutors sought the Death Penalty. Michigan outlawed the death penalty in 1846 for prosecutions in state courts, but federal prosecutors may seek the penalty for selected offenses, such as racketeering, in federal court.

In 2012, Mr. Gurewitz successfully defended an accused from a federal demand for the Death Penalty for a shooting and death of an armed card guard. The jury returned a verdict overwhelmingly rejecting the Death Penalty.

In 2017, Mr Gurewitz was admitted to practice before the International Criminal Court at The Hague, Netherlands.

In June 2018, Mr Gurewitz obtained a landmark ruling before the United States Supreme Court in Carpenter v United States, extending privacy protections of the Fourth Amendment to digital records created by cell phone use.

In June, 2022, Mr Gurewitz obtained a landmark ruling from the Michigan Supreme Court in People v Peeler, holding that Michigan’s unique One-Man grand jury investigation procedures do not authorize a jduge/grand juror to indict.

United States Attorney General Award for Outstanding Achievement, 1978 Gilman Award for Outstanding Criminal Law Practitioner, Federal Bar Association, Detroit, MI, 1988American Board of Criminal Lawyers (ABCL) National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) Criminal Defense Lawyers of Michigan (CDAM) Michigan Bar Association American Bar AssociationUnited States v Debs, not guilty United States v Garcia, dismissed on defense motion that challenged Commerce Clause jurisdiction for RICO prosecution and Death Penalty United States v Priest, firearms dealer charged with sale of firearm with obliterated serial number found not guilty United Stats v O'Reilly, jury verdict for Life in Capital Murder prosecution Carpenter v United States, U S Supreme Court held Fourth Amendment protection for digital records of cell phone locations People v (two public officials), trial court dismissed charges of misconduct in office by local officials in connection with a governmental construction project People v Peeler, Michigan Supreme Court held a state court judge appointed to investigate as a One-Man grand juror has no authority to indict and that any accused charged after a One-Man grand jury investigation has a right to a preliminary examination before trial.

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