Joshua Arthur Sauter, 41, came before 34th District Court Judge David Parrott on Feb. 13 with six cases against him.
He was delivered to the court from the Wayne County Jail where he was being held. Sitting with Sauter at the table in the courtroom were his attorney James Kelly and Sauter’s stepfather, who is also an attorney.
Judge Parrott said there were two civil infractions and two misdemeanor cases, besides the two felony cases and he wanted to take of the four lesser charges first.
Sauter agreed to plead guilty to a “driving while license suspended” charge and Judge Parrott dismissed the “no authorized license on person.” Sauter was credited with time-served and that case was closed. He also pled guilty to an Aug. 14 charge in Van Buren Township of operating a motor vehicle while license suspended. The other two cases were dismissed.
After Judge Parrott took a brief break to look through a thick file, he returned and defense attorney Kelly waived a preliminary exam on a felony charge of larceny by conversion, between $1,000 and $20,000 in the City of Belleville on Dec. 28, 2017. Sauter is due to be at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice at 9 a.m. Feb. 20 for an arraignment on the information. Bond was set at $10,000/10%.
The only case left to deal with was one count of assault with a deadly weapon, child abuse-4, and domestic violence on Dec. 26 in Van Buren Township.
Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Larry King called his only witness, Stephanie Cody, who testified that at 1 p.m., Dec. 26 the two were in their home in Trilogy Apartments in Van Buren Township with their one-year-old son.
She said they had been arguing and he was standing and she was on the couch.
“We had been arguing for 24 hours straight,” she said, testifying that he threatened to kill her with the foot-long hunting knife he held in his hand.
She testified he threatened to stab her and watch her bleed. She said he then stabbed the table in front of her. Prosecutor King produced two pictures of the knife hole in the table, which were entered as Exhibits 1 and 2.
She said she felt her life was in danger.
Defense attorney King asked her why she didn’t try to get away and she said when she tried to stand up he pushed her down multiple times. She said the table in front of the couch was about 2.5′ x 4′ in size.
She said he was off his bipolar medication, and she was afraid, “but didn’t feel he would otherwise hurt me.”
Prosecutor King asked if the situation wasn’t that she was not typically afraid, but this time she was in fear of harm, and she agreed.
Judge Parrott bound him over to circuit court for the same time and date as the other charge that he waived an exam on: 9 a.m., Feb. 20, for his arraignment on the information.
On Feb. 20, Circuit Court Judge James Chylinski accepted Sauter’s plea of guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and the child abuse and domestic violence charges were dismissed. Sentencing will be March 7 on this charge and a motion hearing will be held on the larceny by conversion charge.
Kaitlyn Marie McDaniel
Kaitlyn Marie McDaniel, 18, pled guilty to larceny of more than $200 but less than $1,000 and the felony charge of uttering and publishing was dismissed. She was sentenced under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act (HYTA), which will wipe the crime from her record after 12 months if she has no further violations.
McDaniels told Judge Parrott that she attempted to pass a $380 bad check on Jan. 26 at Hayward’s store in Belleville.
Judge Parrott sentenced her to take the court’s economic crime class, spend eight days on the court work program and pay costs totaling $845.
Emily Schultz
Madison Smith
Emily Schultz and Madison Smith pled guilty as charged and their cases were taken under advisement for a year under HYTA. After 12 months their convictions will be taken off the record.
They told Judge Parrott that one had been going through unlocked cars and the other was the lookout. They took $700.
Their defense attorney Michael Vincent said he told them to bring the $700 to court with them and they did for restitution in total.
They said on Nov. 30, 2017 in the City of Belleville one broke in or entered a 2007 Chrysler Town and Country motor vehicle and one was aiding and abetting.
They were each sentenced to eight days on the court work program and to take the court’s economic crime class. Fine for each defendant was $845.
“In 12 months this will be wiped off your records,” Judge Parrott said. “Please comply and stay out of trouble.”
Reid Faries Gorish
Reid Faries Gorish, 35, was brought to 34th District Court Judge Brian Oakley’s courtroom on Feb. 20 from the Wayne County Jail to face two charges of possession of narcotics or cocaine, less than 25 grams, in Van Buren Township.
He is jailed on a similar charge by the 36th District Court in Detroit.
Gorish told Judge Oakley that he had been in jail since Jan. 17, so the judge closed out a July 17 VBT case for time-served.
His court-appointed attorney Melonie Bates said her client wanted to waive the preliminary examinations on the two drug charges and Judge Oakley bound him over to Wayne County Circuit Court for arraignments on the information on Feb. 27.
Everett Lorenzo Ford, Jr.
Everett Lorenzo Ford, Jr., 34, waived his preliminary exam on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon and unlawful use of a license plate on Jan. 23 in VBT. He is free on $10,000 personal recognizance bond. His court-appointed attorney is James Parker.
Judge Oakley bound Ford over to circuit court for an arraignment on the information March 6. Bond is continued.