Court Watching: Defendant who drove ORV on Main Street gets his vehicle back

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
On Jan. 28 before 34th District Court Chief Judge Tina Books Green, Michael Woody pled guilty to operating his Off Road Vehicle (ORV) on Main Street in the city of Belleville on Dec. 18.
Woody told Judge Green that Sumpter Township told him he could drive on the street as long as it was inside the white line and he was wearing a helmet.
Judge Green asked if he was blaming Sumpter Township and Woody said he wasn’t. He noted didn’t have the required ORV sticker on his vehicle.
Woody said J&T Crova Towing had his ORV and he didn’t have the money to get it out and he wanted to know if he could sign his vehicle over to help pay the costs.
Judge Green decided to take this into her own hands. “Sometimes you have to get creative,” she said.
She called John Bokon, owner of J&T, and talked to him. The ORV had been at his place since Dec. 18 at $45 a day and Woody owed some $1,800. She said Bokon said he couldn’t release the vehicle since Belleville PD wouldn’t sign off on it because of the sticker.
Judge Green said Bokon agreed to reduce the cost to $600 so Woody could get his vehicle back. Judge Green signed off on it and the ORV was to be released that day.
Judge Green said the ORV was worth several thousand dollars and Woody was willing to give that up just to settle his debt.
Madeline Ryan Coffman
Madeline Ryan Coffman waived her preliminary exam and was bound over to circuit court on charges of delivery / manufacturing of drugs and larceny from a building. Her arraignment on the information will be Feb. 11 at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice. She posted her $5,000/10% bond. Det. Mark Buxton was the officer in charge.
Gregory Joseph Buege
Gregory Joseph Buege pled guilty to breaking and entering into a vehicle in Sumpter Township on Aug. 4, 2012 and the charge of using a finance transaction device under false pretenses was dropped. Judge Green deferred his sentence for a year and if there is no further problem, the charge will be dismissed. Fines were assessed. Sumpter Township Police Sgt. John Ashby was the officer in charge.
Kuntie Jamar Robinson
Kuntie Jamar Robinson waived his preliminary exam on charges of receiving and concealing a stolen vehicle, larceny of a motor vehicle, and unauthorized driving away of an auto. Judge Green bound him over to circuit court to face the charges on Feb. 4. He was lodged in the Wayne County Jail on bond of $10,000/10% and pretrial services will consider a recommendation on reducing the bond. Van Buren Township Det./Sgt. Jeff Gueli was the officer in charge.