Michigan attorney sworn in by judge who sent him to prison 20 years ago

Sam Fry | Hillsdale Daily News

HILLSDALE — It was a story of redemption Friday, as Robert VanSumeren, 40, of Jackson County, was sworn in as an attorney by Hillsdale County Circuit Court Judge Michael Smith, the same judge who sentenced him to prison in 1999.

VanSumeren, who has since turned his life around after spending six years behind bars for a string of robberies committed as a teen, is the 169th attorney to be admitted in Hillsdale County since local officials began keeping dated records in 1859.

On Friday, he was joined inside the courtroom by his wife, Dana, his two young sons, and his sponsor, Marie Reimers, who formally motioned for him to be admitted to the state bar during a private swearing-in ceremony.

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Smith said he didn’t recall VanSumeren’s case specifically, but said the new attorney should be “commended” for his transformation.

“I don’t remember your case, which in this instance is probably a good thing,” Smith joked.

When Smith asked VanSumeren if he wanted to say anything, VanSumeren credited his family for supporting him throughout his journey.

“I wouldn’t be here today without the support of my wife, family and children,” he said. “It takes a village.”

Following VanSumeren’s swearing-in, in a rare departure from normal courtroom decorum, Smith gave the audience permission to applaud the newly-minted attorney.

“This is one of those occasions where it’s called for,” he said.

A Long, Difficult Journey

Nearly 20 years ago to the day, VanSumeren appeared in the same Courthouse, but under very different circumstances.

His story has its roots in heartbreak and addiction. When his family broke up during his teenage years, he struggled to cope, turning to drugs and alcohol to ease the pain.

At his lowest point, he robbed a gas station with a BB gun, before undertaking an unarmed bank robbery. Smith sentenced him to 70-240 months in prison for his crimes.

While VanSumeren was serving out his sentence, he decided to accept responsibility for his actions and turn his life around.

After his release in 2005, he turned to books, completing a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University in 2006 and a M.A. in 2009. But throughout his studies, he couldn’t stop thinking about his experience with the criminal justice system.

“Even as I started working on my bachelor’s and master’s in humanities, law kept floating back through my mind, but the obstacle was I didn’t know if I could make it,” he said.

In 2015, he enrolled in law school at Wayne State University. There, he found himself learning from former judges and federal prosecutors, some of the same people he hated during his troubled adolescence.

“It was surreal, sometimes, to be sitting in classes with them,” he said. “I had to undo the mentality that I was on the wrong side, because there were times when I felt like I didn’t belong.”

But whenever he told his story, he found most people didn’t care about his checkered past and were ready to help him move forward.

“In the community of people who have had legal troubles but have gone on to be professionals, there’s a debate about whether to disclose or not to disclose, to kind of go on with your life or talk about it,” he said. “I’ve chosen to talk about it and tell my story, and when people find out they’ve generally been very supportive.”

“I’ve actually been sort of surprised by that at times. I guess as a younger man I’d had the impression that the system was mad at me, like a parent or something, but it turns out it’s not personal.”

VanSumeren graduated law school last year and passed the state bar in July 2018. After a lengthy process, the bar’s Character and Fitness Committee recommended him for approval.

A Healing Process

VanSumeren says he hopes his story is one that inspires others who may have had similar experiences.

“When I got out of prison in 2005, I really struggled to find examples of people who had gotten out of prison and really thrived in professions,” he said. “I didn’t know if it was possible, but now 15 years later, there are a lot more stories like mine.”

Reimers, a staff attorney at Lakeshore Legal Aid, who became friends with VanSumeren during her first year of law school, said his willingness to persevere through uncertainty speaks volumes about his character and values, and is a good example for others to follow.

“It takes a lot of courage to go to law school and pass the bar exam knowing that there’s something in your past from when you were 19 that might keep you from becoming an attorney,” she said. “I’m just so proud of him.”

As for VanSumeren, he said he’s grateful that Smith agreed to swear him in on Friday, adding that the experience is almost healing in nature.

“I’m happy to come back and make a full circle,” he said. “It seems appropriate and I was glad (Smith) agreed to do it.”