People will freak out about this, but important legal distinction: -Michigan allows you to upgrade charges after arrest. -At time of arrest you charge the lowest most conservative crime that still is non-bailable. -Then you file case later at arraignment with amended charges and more evidence. First degree murders have a high burden of proof, remarkably high, and even though we *know* it’s premeditated, the evidence needs to be documented, have proper chain of command, he has to have psychological assessments done (so he can’t plead insanity) The manifesto, disguise, ammo, truck, etc need proper chain of custody, and documentation to be used here. If you charge him initially based on those pieces of evidence and any of them turn out to be wrong or procedurally incorrect then his lawyers will challenge the entire set of cases on technicalities, overcharging etc. So you charge a lower burden of proof crime (second degree) which still means no bail, but it gives you time to build the case and secure the evidence for the main crime. They will be throwing the book at him with murder charges, and dozens of attempted murder/conspiracy to commit murder. This is a complex case they *NEED* to get right. So this is a procedural strategy by the AG to ensure this case is air tight.