Sumpter Twp. resident appeals jury conviction on ordinance violation

Ronald Barrington Robinson, a Sumpter Township activist who ran unsuccessfully for trustee in 2016 and treasurer in 2018, is appealing a district court jury conviction of an ordinance violation, claiming, among other things, that the charge was political payback.
Robinson routinely speaks out at township board meetings, raising concerns about Sumpter’s leadership. He is vitally concerned about the emergence of the KKK in Sumpter, according to his attorney’s brief in support of the appeal.
The appeal is currently pending before Circuit Court Judge Vonda R. Evans and the Circuit Court issued an order staying the Oct. 12 sentencing order by 34th District Court Judge David Parrott.
The Circuit Court order was signed Dec. 3 by Judge Parrott, Sumpter Township attorney Robert P. Young, and Robinson’s attorney Ronald Reese Ruark.
Robinson stipulated that he would not have any RVs of any type brought onto, or allowed, on his property at 27325 Martinsville Rd. in Sumpter Township, but all other parts of his sentencing are stayed until Circuit Court is done with the case.
Robinson currently stores his RV at Mitchell Storage at a cost of $53 a month. He said for many years he had parked his RV at the rear of his almost four acres that holds his two horses, a large vegetable garden which he harvests for a soup kitchen to feed the homeless, and two flower gardens. There are five structures on the property, a chicken coop, a run-in for the horses, and three sheds.
He said he goes to the property every day to care for his horses and chickens.
His horses were poisoned during his first run for office and he still has a reward offered to find those responsible.
His neighbors to the north and south are separated by woods and in the summer you cannot see them, testimony said. Across the road is vacant land.
Robinson and his wife live elsewhere in Sumpter and testimony showed occasionally they would spend a weekend or an even longer period on their secluded country property, enjoying the wildlife.
Sometimes they take the RV on vacations to Cedar Pointe, Muskegon, and Ludington, as well as Mackinac Island, Mackinaw City, and Belle Isle.
Robinson was charged with a misdemeanor violation of the Sumpter Township Zoning Ordinance that includes: “Storage or parking shall not be permitted on vacant lots or parcels, except as approved by the zoning administrator.”
Testimony in the trial stated none of his neighbors on Martinsville complained about the RV — or any other Sumpter citizen — and it was the township clerk who directed the ordinance officer to investigate Robinson for an ordinance violation and ticket him.
In the trial, Sumpter Ordinance Officer Peter Gregory testified that the ordinance didn’t keep anyone from bringing an RV to his property “for a weekend or a couple weeks max.” He just can’t keep it there all the time. There was no evidence presented that Robinson kept the RV there longer than two weeks.
Gregory testified there were sheds on the lot and horses and “a little corral up in the front.
He also testified there are gardens on the lot and that “it looks pretty nice… it looks like somebody takes care of it, for sure” and the property is “kept up.”
Robinson said Judge Parrott, approving a motion by attorney Young, did not allow his attorney Ruark to enter the issue of political payback in the trial or to enter pictures of all the blighted recreational vehicles throughout the township that are not working but not targeted for ordinance violations.
In his appellant’s brief, attorney Ruark cited cases that say a key function of a jury is “to prevent oppression by the Government” and “to protect against unfounded criminal charges brought to eliminate enemies…”
Ruark’s appeal argues there was insufficient evidence to support the jury verdict, the Sumpter ordinance is void for vagueness, the ordinance infringes on Robinson’s constitutional rights, and the court improperly restricted Robinson’s arguments at trial.
He asks Circuit Court to set aside the conviction.