Legal Question in Criminal Law in Michigan

Re: Broken Car Window

A prosecutor cannot issue a charge simply on the victim's "hunch" regarding who is most likely the person who committed the crime. Identity has to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The bad blood between the victim and suspect gives him a motive to commit the crime, but motive alone is not enough to prove who did the act.

Identity is usually proven by a confession/admission or witnesses saying that they saw that person at the scen committing the act. Presence at the scene might also be proven through forensic evidence (fingerprints, blood/hair, etc.). While TV shows love forensic evidence, it's rarely the basis for proving "who done it".

In your friend's case, if this is a broken car window case, forensics may not be able to solve the riddle. If the object used to break the window was not left at the scene (and recovered to check for fingerprints) ... or if the object was left at the scene and did not have fingerprints on it (e.g., a rock/brick, etc.), then police would probably have to rely on a confession/admission to prove who did the act.