A Wayne County District Court judge is free again despite being accused of drinking and driving, domestic violence and violating bond in northern Michigan.
Judge David Parrott appeared in court in Manistee County on Tuesday morning for a bond hearing, deciding if he would be jailed or not. A judge let him go on bond once again.
Mainstee County prosecutors say Parrott violated terms of his bond in an alleged drinking and driving case from back in December 2018, when he committed domestic assault earlier this month in Van Buren Township.
Wayne County prosecutors charged Parrott with assault and battery, saying he attacked his 55-year-old live-in girlfriend.
During the hearing, police also testified that she was pummeled adn tackled like a football player.
Parrott has stepped off the bench and Manistee County prosecutors have filed a complaint against him with the state's Judicial Tenure Commission.
The judge Tuesday ordered him to submit to alcohol monitoring and avoid drinking and drugs, but didn't give him any jail time.
Outside of court, Parrott's defense attorney dismissed the notion he's let down those who elected him to the bench in Romulus.
“Your client is charged with domestic violence and OWI, is that a betrayal of the public’s trust?" Simon Shaykhet asked.
"No. It’s a human being. Everybody has their foibles," Michael Nichols responded.
“I’m concerned with anyone that’s on a pending case for alcohol and catches a second case for alcohol and assault," Manistee County Assistant Prosecutor Attorney Jonathon Hauswirth said. "Obviously, there’s a concern for the public there and we’ll always take that very seriously.”
Parrott will next appear for a pre-trial hearing in the Van Buren Township case on Feb. 28.
