A 31-year-old man named Anthony Tyese Robinson is at the center of a heartbreaking legal case involving the death of a baby named Zaidan, who passed away six years after suffering severe injuries. Robinson’s lawyer, Randy Rodnick, is now fighting to have his earlier conviction for child abuse overturned.
Back in July 2016, in northern Macomb County, Robinson caused injuries to Baby Zaidan that led to extreme head trauma. Zaidan lived with limited function and required constant care in Sterling Heights until his tragic death in 2022. Robinson had pleaded guilty to first-degree child abuse and was sentenced in January 2017 to a prison term of nearly 11 to 30 years.
After Zaidan’s passing, prosecutors in Macomb County upgraded Robinson’s charge to first-degree felony murder. Robinson is now awaiting trial for the new charge, with pretrial proceedings scheduled for January 27 and the trial set for April. The case has been assigned to Judge Diane Druzinski.
However, Robinson’s lawyer believes the original child abuse case wasn’t handled properly. Rodnick claims that Robinson’s previous attorney didn’t fight hard enough for him. He says there was no preliminary hearing, no motions filed, and no medical experts consulted to review the child’s condition. On top of that, the lawyer didn’t negotiate for a lighter sentence, leaving Robinson with the maximum punishment under the guidelines.
Rodnick is asking Macomb County Circuit Judge Joseph Toia to reconsider Robinson’s earlier conviction and possibly grant a new trial. He argues that Robinson didn’t get the fair legal representation he deserved.
Meanwhile, Robinson has reportedly been offered a plea deal in the current murder case. If he pleads guilty or no contest to second-degree murder, he could face 22 years in prison instead of going to trial.
This deeply emotional case continues to unfold, with both sides preparing for the upcoming court dates. The legal battle, combined with the loss of Baby Zaidan, has left many grappling with the tragedy and the quest for justice.