Court Watching: Judge Oakley binds over Shunk on charges of assaulting woman

Frederick George Shunk, 51, has been bound over to Wayne County Circuit Court to face charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and domestic violence/aggravated assault.
He was at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice on Oct. 5 for an arraignment on the information before Circuit Judge David Groner, where a plea was made. On Oct. 7 he was at a calendar conference before Judge Michael Callahan. A final conference as set for Nov. 8 before Judge Megan Maher Brennan.
Shunk is free after posting bond of $50,000/10%.
34th District Court Judge Brian A. Oakley presided over Shunk’s preliminary exam on Sept. 21.
The single witness at the exam was Amy Porter who came into the courtroom on a walker with her leg in a bright magenta cast.
She testified that on Aug. 28 in an apartment at 48541 Denton Road [Harbour Club Apartments] where she had been staying with Shunk, she was assaulted and had to be hospitalized.
Porter said she has known Shunk all her life and he was a friend. She had stayed with him for two weeks and was leaving. She said she had been paying bills at the apartment.
She said Shunk texted her that he was in custody in the Washtenaw County Jail, so she thought she could go to the apartment and get her things. She said she went to the apartment at 5:30 a.m. She said Doug brought her there because her car was at the apartments and Doug was going to help her carry her television set. Her other things were clothes and personal items, she testified.
But, Shunk was home and sleeping, she testified. She went in to get her stuff and Shunk woke up. She said he was angry that she brought Doug with her and Shunk pushed her against the table and lamp and she fell.
Porter testified Doug told Shunk not to put his hands on her and then Shunk and Doug started fighting. She said she got in between the two and was screaming for them to stop.
“I told Doug to get out,” she testified. “I felt bad because Fred is bleeding.”
She testified then Shunk threw her purse over the balcony and it fell three stories down. She said she went to the sliding glass window, but didn’t put her foot on the porch because she thought he might push her out there and lock the door.
Then he grabbed her hair and pulled her out into the hallway.
“I fell backwards. He was kicking me down the stairs,” she said, adding, “He said I’m going to kill you now. You’re just like your sister.”
Porter said Shunk stomped on her and when she was at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital she needed to have two rods put in her leg with four bolts. She said doctors told her that her injuries could not come from just falling down the stairs, and she had been stomped.
She said a male neighbor came out and carried her down the stairs and outside. She said her bone was coming out of her leg.
“He was at the top of the stairs throwing my shoes at me,” Porter testified, referring to Shunk. “One hit me in the head.”
Shunk’s court-appointed attorney Clifford Woodards cross-examined Porter, asking her if she had taken medication that day and she said she took Percocet for the pain at 6 a.m. Her testimony came after 11 a.m.
She testified she had never been convicted of a crime and did have keys to the apartment. She said she was unaware that she was carrying both sets of keys.
Woodards accused Porter of dishonoring and disrespecting Shunk by bringing another man into the apartment. She replied she brought him to help carry her TV and to give her a ride to the apartment. She said in the past she had other men in the apartment and it was never a problem.
“I didn’t think Fred was there,” she testified. “I thought I could just grab my stuff and leave.”
Woodards asked Porter why his client would say he was in jail in Washtenaw County and Porter replied, “That’s what scares me the most. We’re not in any kind of relationship. Why send out that you’re in jail.”
Woodards asked if Shunk thought she was going to smoke the medical marijuana in his room. She said she didn’t know what he thought, but she has her texts on her iPad to prove they never did mention marijuana.
The prosecutor pointed out they have her iPad in the courtroom to prove what was written. Van Buren Township Detective Ken Toney had retrieved the iPad from Porter’s father’s car in the court parking lot.
Woodards said that Porter and Doug attacked Shunk, but Porter denied that. She said she told Doug to leave and he did.
“I’m hurting,” she said as she slowly left the courtroom after being as a witness.
Defense attorney Woodard said she wanted to take Shunk’s medical marijuana and smoke it and the prosecutor said there was no testimony on that.
The prosecutor asked Judge Oakley to bind Shunk over to circuit court for trial, saying Shunk kicked Porter down the stairs, she suffered a compound fracture, her leg was stomped or kicked repeatedly.
Judge Oakley found probable cause that a crime had been committed and Shunk could have been the one who did it. He bound Shunk over to circuit court and continued the bond and continued the order for no contact with Porter.
“There’s two sides to this,” the defense attorney called out.
Frank Charles Stachulski
Frank Charles Stachulski, 31, who is lodged in the Wayne County Jail on a bond of $100,000/10%, waived his preliminary exam at 34th Circuit Court Sept. 21 and Judge Oakley bound him over to circuit court for a Sept. 28 arraignment on the information.
Stachulski is charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, fourth-degree arson, assault with a dangerous weapon (felonious assault), and domestic violence.
Judge Oakley continued Stachulski’s bond after his court-appointed attorney Susan Dunn said she had no motion to reduce bond since he is also dealing with a previous case.
Stachulski is accused of trying to set his girlfriend on fire and, failing that, set a car on fire on Aug. 28 in VBT.
Stachulski was before Circuit Judge Deborah Thomas on Sept. 28 for an arraignment on the information and an AOI plea was made. Judge Thomas referred Stachulski to pretrial services for a bond review. A disposition conference was scheduled to be held before Judge Thomas on Oct. 13.
William Calvin Hunt
William Calvin Hunt, 51, was supposed to be present for a probable cause conference on a charge of retail fraud-first degree in VBT on Jan. 3. He was free after posting $5,000/10% bond and was to be wearing a tether, but he didn’t show up for court. Judge Oakley issued a bench warrant for his arrest. Hunt is a habitual offender.