FUNERAL DETAILS
M. Jon Posner
M. Jon Posner, 73, of Southfield, Michigan, died on 11 January 2017. The Funeral was held at IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL on Friday, 13 January 2017 at 3:00 PM . Rabbi Joseph Krakoff and Cantor Neil Michaels officiated. Click  to watch a video of the recorded service.Interment at Machpelah Cemetery.
He is survived by his loving wife of 37 years, Roberta Henrion. He was a loving and devoted father to Emily and Michael Posner, dear brother of Rebecca (Arthur) Samberg, David Posner, and Matthew (Marian Kromkowski) Posner, brother-in-law of Christine Taylor, Stephanie Smith, and Annette Madrid, and a cherished uncle to many nieces and nephews. Jonny passionately practiced law for 45 years with his partners Ken Mogill, Mark Weiss, and Marjory Cohen. Jon's passion was defending the indigent. He did not mark his wins and losses through trials, but rather in lives changed, educations earned, and gainful employment. He was a colleague, mentor and instructor. Throughout his 45-year legal career Jonny Posner (?the Pos?) was a unique attorney, who did exceptional quality and skillful work for poor people. As an appointed attorney he represented poor defendants in Detroit for an inadequate fee. While there are appointed attorneys who fight for their clients and do great work, they often tend to move on to do retained criminal defense work (for large or, at least, decent fees), or become a chief administrator of a defender?s office, or a judge, or move on to another field of law or to a totally different profession, but not Jonny! Jonny frequently went beyond the call of duty for his clients. In one case of Jonny?s cases, there was a question regarding his client?s mental state. The judge remanded the defendant to the Center for Forensic Psychiatry in Ypsilanti. The usual procedure in such cases was first, for the defendant to be locked up the county jail and then, after some period of time, sheriff?s deputies would transport the defendant to the Forensic Center. Jonny argued and convinced the judge that, rather than putting the defendant in jail, Jonny would drive his client directly to the Forensic Center, which Jonny did without fee. Jonny was a skillful and thorough lawyer. An appellate attorney with SADO, the organization which represent poor defendants on appeal, was reviewing a trial transcript of a case where Jonny had represented the defendant at trial. When he finished the transcript, the appellate attorney realized that Jonny had made every appropriate objection and had preserved every claim of error for appellate review. The appellate attorney had never had that experience before; he was stunned. In speaking of his work, Jonny noted "I am a life line to indigent clients. I can be their one hope to get their lives back on track, when everyone else around them has given up." It is suggested that those who wish to further honor the memory of M. Jon Posner may do so by making a contribution to: Wayne State University Law SchoolClick to Visit Charity Website |