Sheena Barnes arraigned on Supervisor Bowman’s complaint

Sheena Devina Green, 63, of Sumpter Township, better known by her maiden name of Sheena Barnes, is set for her pre-trial exam on March 9 at 34th District Court on a charge of malicious use of a telephone, a misdemeanor.
The charge is based on a complaint from Sumpter Township Supervisor Tim Bowman and a phone call he received on his home phone from Barnes on Aug. 19. After investigation by Sumpter Police, the charges were filed on Dec. 15.
She was arraigned in person by 34th District Court Judge Brian A. Oakley on Jan. 12. Personal bond was set at $1,000 and a motion hearing for Jan. 30. That date was later adjourned to March 9 for a pretrial exam, at a request of the defendant.
Sumpter Township attorney Rob Young is Sumpter’s prosecutor and to avoid a conflict of interest the case was turned over to Van Buren Township Prosecutor Angela Mannarino to prosecute.
Barnes, who served as trustee for the township board and unsuccessfully ran for township treasurer as a Democrat in November, has criticized township officials with letters in the Independent.
Supervisor Bowman reportedly told the Eagle online publication that he was “shocked by the vulgarity of the language [in the phone call], along with racial epithets, sexual references, and threats of physical violence.”