Digital Court Watching: 34th District Court begins showing court appearances via Zoom

On May 21, Kevin Joseph Bonam, 42, now of Inkster, asked 34th District Court Judge Tina Brooks Green for a bench trial on his misdemeanor charge of domestic violence, which allegedly occurred on May 7 in Van Buren Township.
The request was made during a virtual Zoom pretrial, with Judge Green in her office and the attorneys and defendant elsewhere but linked by their computers or phones.
Virtual court appearances began May 15, following the Michigan Supreme Court direction to allow the public to witness the sessions.
Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Larry King said he made a plea deal offer for Bonam to plead guilty to the charge and be placed on 12-month probation, but Bonam wanted a trial. Judge Green said the trial will be set and Bonam and his court-appointed attorney Teresa Patton will be advised of the date and time of the trial. The case will be reviewed on June 30.
Meanwhile Bonam is out on 10% bond and was advised to have no contact with the victim or the address on Denton Road where he used to live.
Jarod Sanders Brown-Hughes
Jarod Sanders Brown-Hughes, 29, of Ann Arbor and previously of Water’s Edge, at his pretrial asked Judge Green for a jury trial, that will be set in the future. He is charged with domestic violence – second offense notice — on Sept. 4, 2019, in Van Buren Township.
Brown-Hughes said the charges are false and he has proof he was incarcerated at the time of the alleged domestic violence.
Judge Green said the court’s bench trials will happen first, since they can be done with the attorneys, defendants and witnesses either in the courtroom masked or available by Zoom.
She said everybody present would be masked and if the attorney wants to see facial expressions, without a mask, those people could testify by Zoom.
She said the plan now is to schedule the court sessions so people can participate without having to wait all morning for a case, like it was in the past in the court.
Prosecutor King said he is waiting for discovery evidence that was delayed because of COVID-19. Defense attorney Patton was having trouble with her computer and so the court session was ended and then restarted.
Brown-Hughes and his attorney will be advised of the jury date in the future. The case will be reviewed on June 30. The defendant is free after posting bond of $4,000/10%.
Michael Jermine Stone
Michael Jermine Stone, 39, of Van Buren Township, was charged with domestic violence – second offense notice, a misdemeanor, on Feb. 18 in Van Buren Township. This had been amended from a felony third-offense notice.
He is free on personal bond of $1,000 and is to have no contact with the victim and cannot return to an address on Parkwood.
His pretrial on the reduced charge was set for May 21 before Judge Green. But he is now waiting for another date for his pretrial to see if the Neighborhood Defender Service, that defends felonies, will stay with him for the charge which is now a misdemeanor. The NDS usually does only felonies.
The case is scheduled for review on June 30.
Brittany Nicole Allen
Brittany Nicole Allen, 23, of Belleville, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (felonious assault) and domestic violence in Van Buren Township on May 8. Her probable cause conference was set by Chief Judge Brian Oakley for 10 a.m. May 27 and she was to have no contact with the victim or an address in the 48600 block of I-94 Service Drive. She is free after posting 10% cash bond.
Ronnie Ann Richards
Ronnie Ann Richards, 50, who previously lived on Nevada Street in Sumpter Township, had her May 20 probable cause conference before Judge Oakley by Zoom and demanded a live preliminary exam. She is free on $5,000 personal recognizance bond and is not to purchase/possess or consume mood-altering substances.
According to court records she is charged with possession of controlled substance–second on Nov. 4 in Sumpter Township. She was charged on Feb. 12 and the warrant was entered into LEIN. She was extradited from an adjoining state by Sumpter Township police on May 4 and was arraigned at the court on May 5.
The case is scheduled for a review on June 30.
Demario Marcell Marshall
Demario Marcell Marshall, 22, of Romulus, was arrested by Michigan State Police for carrying a concealed weapon on May 19. He was video arraigned by Magistrate Alan Hindman on May 21 and personal bond of $3,000 set. His probable cause conference was set for June 3 before Judge Oakley. His preliminary exam is demanded.
Todd Andrew Blake
Todd Andrew Blake, 55, of Ypsilanti was charged with fleeing police in a vehicle and driving while license suspended in Sumpter Township on Nov. 6, 2018. After his court sessions in July 2019, he did not appear and it was confirmed Blake was in state prison and would be released Aug. 2, 2019. But he did not appear in court as ordered and a bench warrant was issued and entered into LEIN, with statewide pickup. On May 21 the warrant was canceled by Sumpter PD and Blake was arraigned by Magistrate Hindman. Blake’s probable cause conference was set for 10:10 a.m. June 3 before Judge Oakley. He is free on personal bond of $10,000.
Blake currently is listed by the Michigan Department of Corrections as an absconder from parole.
Anthony Todd Warren
Anthony Todd Warren, 38, of Sumpter Township has been charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and assault with a dangerous weapon on May 1 in Van Buren Township. He was present by Zoom from jail for his May 20 probable cause conference before Judge Green. His court-appointed attorney Mike Carter said his client wants an in-person preliminary exam.
Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Lori Mireles-Smith said she expected to have two or three witnesses and one or two lay witnesses for the exam.
Bond had been set at $50,000 cash or surety and he was to have no contact with the victim. He was not to be released without a GPS tether.
A live preliminary exam date will be set in the future. The case is scheduled for a review on June 30.
Adam Daniel Sweeting
Adam Daniel Sweeting, 37, now of Farmington Hills, was waiting for a May 28 pretrial hearing on a May 14 charge of domestic violence, when it was alleged he violated his $5,000 conditional personal bond by having contact with the victim.
On May 22, he was brought before Judge Oakley by Zoom from the Van Buren Township Police Department where he was being held. Judge Oakley asked if he had an attorney for the divorce that was to be filed and he said he didn’t have an attorney yet. He earlier had declined a court-appointed attorney. Judge Oakley said he needed to get an attorney who could take care of the divorce and this problem, too.
“The only reason I’m not setting high bond is the COVID,” Judge Oakley told him. “The magistrate said no contact. She saw you at her mailbox and identified your clothes you were wearing when the police picked you up. There is to be NO CONTACT.”
Sweeting said he was trying to set up visitation through her mother and, “I expected civil standby and they were not available.”
Judge Oakley said Sweeting could work through a third party to set up visitation with his children, but there was to be no contact with his wife.