James Chapman to face new driving while license suspended charge

James Forrest Chapman, 58, recently was released from the Wayne County Jail about half way through his six-month sentence after being found guilty of jumping into Belleville Lake instead of obeying a Van Buren Township police officer’s command to stop.
He posted a $10,000/10% bond for his freedom.
Because he was in jail, Chapman had not shown up at 34th District Court on June 26 for his scheduled arraignment/pretrial on a misdemeanor charge of driving while license suspended in Sumpter Township on March 15.
His court date was scheduled for 9 a.m., June 26 before Judge David Parrott. At a previous court session, the Sumpter prosecutor had asked for the court date on the charge to be adjourned until June 26.
When Chapman failed to show up, Judge Parrott signed a bench warrant for his arrest.
He was arraigned July 3 on the DWLS charge and a court date of Aug. 28 was set.
Chapman had been serving a six-month sentence in the Wayne County Jail and was incarcerated March 22 after being convicted by a jury of assaulting, resisting, obstructing a police officer on June 13, 2016 in Van Buren Township.
He is seeking to appeal that verdict.