IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – For almost a year, a Kingsford family says they’ve struggled to receive proper legal representation and accomodations to benefit the understanding of a case they’ve been involved with.
Aaron Gilliam has held SSI disability status, a traumatic brain injury, PTSD, dyslexia, memory problems, and communication limitations for over 20 years. In November of 2025, his wife Carrie, also known by her middle name LeAnn, reported an incident of domestic violence she says was the result of two years of stress in Aaron’s life.
Initial police reports found she had been grabbed by the neck and mouth. LeAnn soon filed an Internal Affairs complaint disputing these reports, stating that officers attempted to lead her toward a different characterization. According to LeAnn, an attourney with the Gilliams reportedly stated, “There’s no such thing as a falsified police report,” when these concerns were raised.
During Aaron’s court process beginning in December, it was requested that he be provided with proper interpretation accommodations. He eventually received help in March from the Michigan Supreme Court’s Title II ADA Coordinator, and an MC 70 accommodation request was prepared. These requests included additional processing time, audio materials, assistance from a support person, simplified questioning, and a qualified cognitive interpreter.
From that list, a qualified cognitive interpreter was never provided, and the family was informed that one could not be located in the area. The family says they hope to eventually find the right help, but that it ultimately comes to realizing the need in the region.
“We have a smaller population here in the U.P., it’s one reason we came here and we love it, but there are still disabled people here, and we need to make sure that their rights are protected,” said LeAnn. “We want to be sure that a person, regardless of what aspect of the law they’re coming from in this situation, that they have the representation and the ability to advocate for themselves and have meaninful participation in the process.”
After continued hearings, the family also says they were told the case would be dismissed multiple times. It now remains ongoing in the appellate process, as proper representation continues to cycle.
“I think we need more accountability,” said LeAnn. “When you barely have enough people to hold these positions and one person is holding three or four positions, there’s certainly not people to have that accountability in place.”
Aaron Gilliam awaits a trial at the end of September. WZMQ 19 has reached out to the Dickinson County Courthouse and has yet to hear a response.
