Wayne County illegally destroyed troves of criminal files when Mayor Mike Duggan was the elected prosecutor, creating a staggering obstacle for wrongfully convicted inmates seeking to prove their innocence, Metro Times has learned.⁠ ⁠ In Michigan, prosecutors are required to retain the files of defendants serving life sentences for at least 50 years or until the inmate dies. Violating the law carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison.⁠ ⁠ The file purge was not previously reported. Metro Times learned about it recently in interviews for an ongoing series about wrongful convictions.⁠ In statements to Metro Times, Duggan has denied involvement in the destruction of the files and claimed he had no idea there was even a purge. ⁠ See link in bio to read more. ⁠ ⁠ Photos: City of Detroit (public domain), Associated Press (Paul Sancya)⁠ ⁠ #detroit #metrodetroit #waynecounty #waynecountyprosecutor #waynecountyprosecutorsoffice #michigan #longform #mikeduggan #mayorduggan