The Michigan Court of Appeals has denied a claim by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office that an Ortonville teen didn’t receive an adequate sentence for her role in her father’s death — that happened months after he was severely injured from lye which she had thrown at him.
In a Dec. 3 unpublished opinion, the court affirmed the sentence of one year in jail and five years probation for Megan Imirowicz, handed down in July 2023 by Oakland County Circuit Judge Victoria Valentine. Imirowicz had a jury trial last year and was found guilty of unlawful possession or use of harmful devices – imitation/irritants – causing death.
Imirowicz’s father, Konrad Imirowicz, spent approximately five months hospitalized for chemical burns and related complications before coming home on hospice care and dying in March 2022.
According to assistant prosecutor Jason DeSantis who tried the case, on the day of the assault Megan Imirowicz fought with her father because he was drunk and unable to drive her to a hair salon appointment that morning ahead of her planned 18th birthday party. Konrad Imirowicz reportedly had a drinking problem and was highly intoxicated when he arrived at Ascension Genesys Hospital several hours after the lye was thrown on him. During his hospitalization ,he underwent amputation of both legs, and endured multiple infections, a tracheotomy, skin grafts and kidney dialysis.
Teen convicted of throwing lye on father leading to his death released from jail
In appealing Megan Imirowicz’s sentence, the prosecutor’s office said the trial court “abused its discretion” at sentencing because it didn’t consider the guidelines, nor did it justify the sentence imposed and issue one that was “proportional.”
While Imirowicz’s crime was punishable by up to life in prison, the guidelines range was 51 to 85 months. The COA judges said guidelines were “referenced multiple times” at the sentencing hearing. The judges further said the prosecution failed to persuade them on its other claims challenging the sentencing.
As stated in the COA ruling: “We find that the trial court’s extensive evaluation of the factors it considered in imposing defendant's sentence was more than adequate to explain the departure.”
Imirowicz had more than 500 days jail credit at sentencing, so she was released from custody after sentencing. Her probation conditions were described as “intensive” with review every six months, and failure to comply could land her back behind bars. Imirowicz's next review hearing is scheduled for Dec. 10.
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