Court Watching: Homeless VBT man faces home-invasion, domestic violence charges

Jerome Henry Curtis, 42, of Van Buren Township, was due for his probable cause conference on July 20 at 34th District Court, but that was adjourned until July 27 because his defense attorney needed discovery. He is charged with home invasion-first degree and a misdemeanor domestic violence on July 5 in Van Buren Township.
Curtis was in the Wayne County Jail on bond of $10,000/10% with GPS tether and couldn’t afford bail. At the request of his attorney Nancy Richards, Judge Martin reduced the bond to $10,000 personal with a GPS tether. He couldn’t return to his former home on S. Ponderosa Trail, so he said he could stay with one of his six children or a sibling and an exact address was required for the tether.
Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Sona Movsisyan said the day of the incident Curtis told police he would leave and then he came back and assaulted the complainant, so she’s not sure he will not have contact with her once he gets out.
On July 27, his probable cause conference was rescheduled for Aug. 3. The court file said they adjourned because they were not sure if the defendant is in the jail or hospital. On Aug. 3 he failed to appear and a bench warrant was signed by Judge Oakley and entered into LEIN.
On Aug. 8 he was arraigned on the bench warrant and his probable cause conference set for Aug. 17. On Aug. 17 he was in the Wayne County Jail and it was announced he tested positive for COVID and could not zoom to court. His probable cause conference was adjourned until Aug. 31.
On Aug. 31, he was unable to be present by zoom from the jail because he had COVID and his live preliminary exam was set for Oct. 5.
On Oct. 5, preliminary exam witness Rachel Ressler testified how she called Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department on Memorial Day when Curtis strangled her in her car. She said she didn’t want to be near him after that and told him he couldn’t live in her home any longer. They have an eight-year-old special needs daughter in common.
On July 5, he was at her home when she got home from work and asked to use the bathroom and to have a cup a coffee. He said he was homeless. He wouldn’t leave so she called police. Officer Kurtis Mowbray testified he was first called to the home for a disorderly subject. The officer testified that after Curtis left, he left. Then he got another call for violence in progress and he returned. Curtis had left again and he arrested him near the residence later, he testified.
Judge Lisa Martin bound him over to Circuit Court for an Oct. 12 arraignment on the information. A calendar conference was set for Oct. 24. A final conference had been set for Nov. 21 and then changed to Dec. 21. The final conference now is Jan. 19.
A probable cause conference for a charge of receiving and concealing a stolen vehicle on July 26 in Van Buren Township was set for Oct. 19. The warrant on that charge when he failed to appear for a court session was recalled.
On Oct. 19 his attorney said she had no discovery, and the live exam on that charge was set for Nov. 30. On that date he pled guilty to a reduced charge of stolen property. Judge Oakley sentenced him to 30 days in jail and then credited him with the 30 days he had been in jail. He had personal bond but was in custody at the Wayne County Jail on another matter.