#Justice on Sale: Karen McDonald, Power, Politics, and the Erosion of Trust in Michigan’s Justice System.

When Justice Becomes a Brand

In America’s courts, prosecutors are meant to be the guardians of fairness. But what happens when justice itself for Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald starts to look like a campaign product—marketed, polished, and sold to the highest political bidder?

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald built her reputation on bold decisions and emotional appeals for justice. Yet behind the headlines lies a troubling pattern of power, politics, and questionable ethics—from massive PR spending to politically-tangled case dismissals.

The Denis Preka Case: A Family’s Still Fighting for Justice.

On March 19, 2019, 21-year-old college student Denis Preka visited a friend's house to prepare for an exam. Without his knowledge, his "friends" cruelly added a deadly amount of MDMA (Molly) to his coffee, finding it entertaining to watch and then shared his suffering on Snapchat. Sadly, he never woke up.

In 2024, a Wayne County jury granted a $75 million civil verdict against those liable. However, criminal justice was not served, as the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office had dismissed the charges under false pretenses two years prior.

Charges Dropped, Questions Rise

When Karen McDonald took office in 2021, she, assigned Marc Keast as a Assistant Prosecutor. However, they falsely accused a distinguished former assistant prosecutor of "withholding evidence," using her as a scapegoat. In reality, it was McDonald who was withholding the evidence and siding with defense attorney Neil Rockind.

They claim the previous prosecutor’s office ignored Snapchat data, location records, and witness statements proving the suspects’ involvement.Even worse, one of the defense lawyers in the case, Neil Rockind, was a major campaign donor and later served on McDonald’s transition committee.

Public records show contributions totaling $13,650 from Rockind and his wife to McDonald’s campaign between 2020 and 2024.The family believes that political money corrupted justice. McDonald denies any influence, but the optics are damning.

“They dropped my son’s case, after the defense attorney Neil Rockind donated to her compaing money from the same lawyer connected to it,” said Linda Preka Thom, Denis’s mother. “Justice isn’t supposed to be for sale.”

Her tenure raises one painful question:

Is justice in Oakland County still about truth—or has it become a public-relations performance?

The Oxford High School Case: Justice Meets the Spotlight

The Oxford High School shooting on November 30 2021 shook Michigan to its core. Four students were killed, seven injured. Within days, McDonald charged the shooter’s parents, Jennifer and James Crumbley, with involuntary manslaughter—a historic move.

$250,000 in “Crisis PR” Spending

Defense attorneys later discovered that McDonald’s office spent over $250,000 of taxpayer money on public-relations firms to manage media coverage and shape public sentiment.

Critics called it a “taxpayer-funded PR campaign,” accusing McDonald of blurring the line between law and politics. McDonald’s office insists the spending was transparent and approved by the county, but even legal experts say this type of media management during an active criminal case risks tainting the jury pool and undermining fairness.

“A prosecutor should speak through evidence, not consultants,”

Hidden Deals and Public Posturing

Defense motions also revealed that two school employees—the counselor and dean—testified under proffer agreements (informal cooperation deals). The defense says those deals were hidden from the jury.

McDonald’s team denied wrongdoing, claiming no immunity was promised. But the issue wasn’t only legality—it was trust.

Then came the public remarks. When defense attorneys sought to disqualify her from the case, McDonald publicly accused them of “abusing the court system.” Her comments, while legally protected, were condemned as unprofessional and inflammatory.