Court Watching: VBT wife hits husband in head with a hammer, gets plea deal

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
Trinity Michelle Stern of Van Buren Township agreed to a plea deal before 34th District Court Judge David Parrott on Oct. 1 and pled guilty to aggravated domestic violence.
Her preliminary exam had been scheduled for Oct. 1 and it was not necessary.
She had been charged with assault, domestic violence, and assault & battery and those charges were dropped in exchange for her guilty plea.
Stern told Judge Parrott that she had gotten into an argument with her husband on Sept. 21 in VBT and hit him in the side of the head with a hammer.
When Judge Parrott asked if her husband was seriously injured, she said he had an indentation in his head.
Judge Parrott suggested that all hammers should be removed from the house and her husband, in the court audience, said that has already been done and all hammers have been put in the shed.
Judge Parrott ordered that she should have no assaultive contact with her husband, should spend four days on the court work program, attend Batterers’ Counseling group, and pay $645 in fees.
If over the coming year, if there is no further violence reported, the charge will be dismissed.
Court-appointed attorney David Lankford negotiated the plea agreement with Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Lukiewski. VBT Detective Donovan McCarthy was the officer charge.
She had been free on $5,000 personal recognizance bond.
David Allan Brennan
David Allan Brennan, who appeared on crutches before Judge Parrott for his preliminary exam on three-and-a-half year old charges, also took a plea deal.
He has been charged with delivery of marijuana and controlled substance/drug house.
Brennan pled guilty to the misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana.
Brennan said on March 11, 2011 he was at a marijuana dispensary on the I-94 Service Drive in VBT with various cards and sold a quantity of marijuana to David Meyers for whom he was not a caregiver.
Judge Oakley ordered him to pay some $700 in fines and costs and to be on 12 months’ probation. If he has no further problems, the charge would be dropped.
Brennan had been out on $5,000 or 10% bond. VBT Officer Michael Rini was the officer in charge. Lankford was the court-appointed attorney.
Antwon Sherrod Reid
Antwon Sherrod Reid, 24, was brought from prison for his preliminary exam on charges of home invasion-first and larceny in a building.
Court-appointed attorney Lankford said Reid was told he could waive this probable – cause exam and have his charges sent on to circuit court, but he didn’t want to do that. He wanted his exam.
The problem was that the victim, who had waited in court for over four hours for Reid to be located and brought before the judge, then had a family emergency and had to leave.
Judge Parrott approved adjourning the probable-cause hearing for one week, to 9 a.m., Oct. 8.
Reid objected to the judge, saying he wanted his exam and since there is no witness the case should be dismissed.
Judge Parrott said he thought the explanation on why the witness was absent was understandable and he was adjourning for a week.
At about 11 a.m. Reid’s mother, who had been in the court waiting for the case to be called, was advised that Reid was in prison and wouldn’t be brought in. At that time, Judge Parrott adjourned the case to 9 a.m., Oct. 22. But, at about 12:30 p.m., when Reid finally was produced, the next court date was revised to Oct. 8. The family and witness were advised.
VBT Detective Ken Toney was the officer in charge. Reid was being held on $20,000 cash bond on these charges, but had been taken into custody by the Department of Corrections for a parole violation.
Hani Chafic Dahabra
Hani Chafic Dahabra, 42, who is charged with felony drunk driving in Sumpter Township last November, was arrested in August. His retained attorney Robert Killewald said he is hoping to resolve the charges, but the prosecutor in charge keeps changing.
He asked that the preliminary exam be adjourned to 9 a.m., Oct. 15, and the judge approved, noting the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office has had a lot of changes. But, Judge Parrott said, there would be no future adjournments and the attorney agreed. This is the second time Dahabra’s probable-cause hearing was postponed and the alleged offense was almost a year ago.
The charges are operating while intoxicated-3rd and driving while license suspended. Dahabra was out on bond of $3,000/10%.
Sumpter Detective/Cpl. John Toth was the officer in charge.
Jonathon Doug Keyandwy
Jonathon Doug Keyandwy also was scheduled for his exam, but his attorney Robert Killewald asked for an adjournment. Judge Parrott granted a two-week adjournment until 9 a.m., Oct. 15.
As with Killewald’s other client, Judge Parrott said there would be no further adjournments.
Prosecutor Lukiewski said he couldn’t find the file and then the plea form was not accurate.
Keyandwy is charged with delivery of marijuana in VBT and Det. McCarthy is the officer in charge. Keyandwy is out after posting bond of $1,500/10%.
Jonathan David Moyer
Jonathan David Moyer was set for an exam on charges of breaking & entering a building in VBT, but he took a plea deal.
He had been lodged in the Wayne County Jail on $3,000/10% bond.
Moyer said he took property from his mother on Sept. 20.
Court-appointed attorney Lankford said the charge would be dismissed for a plea to a misdemeanor. Lankford said the problem was discussed with Moyer’s mother and they agree he needs counseling. He was put on 24 months of probation and 50 months of oversight. He will have random testing and substance abuse treatment as determined by the probation department.
Moyer was in jail for 12 days and he gets credit of $5 a day, $60.
VBT Det. Jeff Gueli was the officer in charge.
Busy court session
On Oct. 1, Judge Parrott handled about 63 cases at 34th District Court between 9 a.m. and 12:50 p.m. He said that they are very busy because the court lost electricity on Sept. 10 and all the cases from that day had to be rescheduled.
During his court sessions, a Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputy came in and handed him a “summary ruling of direct contempt” concerning a criminal case of a disorderly person that was not on the docket.
“Somehow the service was on me personally,” Judge Parrott said, adding that legally he has the right not to be served in the courthouse. He had the paperwork put in a file.