Wain Lee Bales, 51, of Van Buren Township was charged with domestic violence on July 15 in Van Buren Township. On Dec. 20, the victim did not show up to 34th District Court for his final pretrial on the matter, so the charge was dismissed without prejudice.
He was reminded of his Jan. 22 court date on the misdemeanors out of Van Buren Township. A show-cause hearing was set for Feb. 26 on those, but hospital papers showed he had been in the hospital since Feb. 25, so the show-cause was moved to March 25. He failed to appear so a warrant was issued March 27.
On May 8, 34th District Court Magistrate Al Hindman video-arraigned him while in police custody on a new charge of possession of methamphetamine/ecstasy on May 5 in Van Buren Township and the six bench warrants for misdemeanors in Van Buren Township. Bond was $5,000/10%.
His probable-cause conference was set for May 22 on the drug charge and then reset for June 5. On June 5, he was an hour late for court and his attorney left before he got there. His case was reset to June 18. His pretrial on the technical requirements was set for June 6. His bench trial was set for July 25. Personal bond was $3,000. Warrants were canceled.
On June 18 he failed to appear and a bench warrant was signed for his arrest. On June 26 he paid $500 for his new bond of $5,000/10% and his probable cause conference was set for July 10.
On July 10, his preliminary exam was set for July 17. At that time his appointed attorney said she wished to withdraw. Bales said he wanted another attorney.
Chief Judge Brian Oakley said defendants can’t shop for free defense attorneys. The judge determined the defendant didn’t wish to follow his attorney’s direction on a proposed plea deal. Judge Oakley ordered the exam to begin.
Van Buren police officer Curtis Mowbrey testified he and his partner officer McGregor answered a call that someone had broken into a home on the I-94 South Service Drive. When they arrived at the defendant’s home, they found no signs of an attempted garage break-in, but they found many warrants out for his arrest so he was arrested.
The defendant’s car had its door and hood open and they wanted to give him time to secure it before they left with him, Officer Mowbrey said.
That’s when they saw him take a bag from off of the battery with drug paraphernalia and a substance that tested to be methamphetamine. Officer Mowbrey testified to unsolicited statements the defendant made from the backseat of the patrol car on the way to the police department.
Judge Oakley bound Bales over to circuit court for a July 31 arraignment on the information.
Clifford Alan Watson
Clifford Alan Watson, 55, of Highland, was scheduled for his preliminary exam before Judge Lisa Martin on July 3, but the prosecutor called for an adjournment because the police officer witness was not available because of his pre-paid vacation. Watson was charged for a case from 2019 in Van Buren Township.
Judge Martin said the court received the motion from the assistant prosecutor to adjourn the case on July 2 and the date for this exam was set on April 10. She denied the motion to adjourn and dismissed the charge against Watson without prejudice, which means it can be refiled.