Michigan prosecutor in Zoom hearing catches alleged domestic assaulter WHAT OTHER LAWYERS THINK OF THE NEW RELAXED RULES. "When I would call to inform a victim of the suspect's status, I would often ask if the suspect was there. Take your phone with you so that I know youre OK, Davis says. Ms. I'm at like two percent right now. Coby James Harris Profiles | Facebook Preliminary Examination of Mary Lindsey and Coby Harris on March 2, 2021. As the St. Joseph County assistant prosecutor questioned Mary Lindsey about the night she says boyfriend Coby Harris hit her, the accuser appeared reluctant to answer questions or explain why she called police. Man On No-Contact Order For Beating Girlfriend Caught Attending Virtual Coby Harris of Sturgis City, Michigan, was facing charges of assault with intent to commit great bodily harm upon his girlfriend Mary Lindsey on the night of Feb 9. after an argument.. A man whose defense case brought international interest following a March 2 preliminary exam in St. Joseph County 3B District Court took another turn Tuesday. Lindsay eventually provides the address to Sturgis before the same request is forwarded to Harris, who immediately responds with a different address. Someone or something makes you that way. Jerry!). Coby Harris back in court! Judge Jeffrey Middleton, prosecutor - Reddit Coby Harris, 21, was charged with beating his girlfriendMary Lindsey during an argument inside her home in Sturgis last month. The court revoked Harris' bond and he now faces additional charges. Posted on Mar 10, 2021Updated on Mar 11, 2021, 10:34 am CST. -- Sarah Witzig, "The citizens are lucky to have her at [the prosecutor's office]." Using any of these platform names is meant to use the term generally as video conferencing. Ms. Assistant prosecutor Deborah Davis, left, reacts after tense moments end with defendant Coby Harris' re-arrest. Harris was out on bond, a release which included the condition that he was not . She got alarmed during a district court session conducted remotely last week in a domestic assault case. St. Joseph County District Judge Jeffrey Middleton ordered Defendant Harris to walk outside and show him the number on the home from which he was Zooming. Another sad reality is that baseless requests for domestic violence restraining orders are filed all the time in California family court. Some are thinking that the days are gone where almost everyone had to show up in person to court and follow strict specific courtroom attire, etiquette, and rules. Coby James Harris Seen With Alleged Victim At Zoom Court Hearing (St. Joseph County District Judge Jeffrey Middleton). -- Libby Brott, Grand Rapids, "Deborah Davis is an absolute professional and also just an incredible human." Harris was arrested after officers found him attending the Zoom hearing at the home of the woman, from whom he had been ordered to stay away. By After it was announced Coby Harris allegedly made phone calls from jail to the reported victim, he facesanother set of hearings March 30 and April 6. He analyzes whether the courts will keep the new changes that include more relaxed filing procedures and allowing individuals and attorneys to appear remotely. A video of last week's hearing, posted on YouTube routinely by the court, was taken down Thursday after amassing over 1.4 million views. After a year of this if the court feels like things have been handled more efficiently without an impact of the integrity of the court system, then it will stay. She got alarmed during a district court session conducted remotely last week in a domestic assault case. Defendant Caught in Same Home of Victim During Zoom Hearing - The Daily Dot Your bond is canceled. Court officials then asked the alleged victim to recount what took place Feb. 9. It was not immediately clear what additional charges he will face following the court hearing. Coby James Harris, 21, of Sturgis, faces an assault charge stemming from a Feb. 9 argument with his girlfriend, Mary Lindsey. Harris and Lindsey had both individually dialed into the virtual St Joseph County Court hearing held via Zoom a week ago. The judge also said that prosecutors would now probably charge him with obstruction of justice. Questions? Coby James Harris, 21, was already facing a charge of assault with intent to commit bodily harm less than murder afteran incident that took place on February 9, the Sturgis Journal reports. The man Lindsey accuses of bruising her during a Feb. 9 dispute, 21-year-old Coby Harris, is in the St. Joseph County Jail without bond since being arrested . Davis ask the court for a felonious assault charge to be added regarding the jack smacking the floor next to the witness head, noting prior domestic violence incidents involvingHarris. For the initial charge, Harris was considered a habitual offender, which means he may face a maximum sentence of 15 years behind bars, according to. 'Your Honor, me and Mary both don't want the no-contact,' Harris told the judge. Its the first time I ever had anybody sitting in the next room potentially intimidating a witness, Judge Middleton continued. Photo: Judge Jeffrey Middleton/Youtube A Michigan man's bond was canceled in a domestic violence case this week after officials realized during a virtual hearing that he was actually in the same location as the victim and possibly intimidating the woman. This is one of, if not the, most common complaint we faced from victims -- that the accused's bond conditions required they stay apart. Harris bond was canceled and he was lodged at the St. Joseph County Jail. Every court seems to be using video conferencing via Zoom, BlueJeans, Pexip, Polycom, Cisco, Lifesize, and other platforms to hold hearings remotely during 2020 and 2021. https://www.abc12.com/2021/02/26/bay-county-judge-scolds-man-for-appearing-nude-on-zoom-court-hearing/ . His initial hearing was rescheduled for March 16. I knew the cops were outside. Harris was asked by the judge to go outside the home to prove he was at the location he said he was. Fortunately, the police had already been sent to Lindsey's address to check on her. Pro per litigants often file a request for a domestic violence restraining order (DVRO) in an attempt to win a custody battle or obtain exclusive possession of a residence based on allegations of conduct which do not amount to abuse under California family law. The hearing is adjourned," Middleton said in response to him. Frederick Penney: Have you noticed that the courts allowed more video appearances once the pandemic hit? Whether it is a criminal proceeding for a defendant charged with a crime involving domestic abuse or a hearing in family law court for a domestic violence restraining order, alleged victims and abusers are now testifying remotely, from the comfort of their own home. When you are live in court sometimes there are other matters in front of you and you must patiently wait for your turn. Crystal Bonvillian, Cox Media Group National Content Desk, Zoom court hearing ends with defendant in handcuffs, Mans Zoom court hearing ends with handcuffs after hes found attending from victims home. The YouTube comments on the video featuring the hearing are filled with praise for Davis. The hearing was rescheduled to take place on March 16. A possible disaster was diverted by the latest video conference court hearing. https://www.uscourts.gov/news/2020/04/08/courts-deliver-justice-virtually-amid-coronavirus-outbreak. "Mr. Harris, my advice is don't say anything else. Privacy Policy Agreement * I agree to the Terms of use and Privacy Policy. Coby Harris, 21, was charged with beating his girlfriend Mary Lindsey during an argument inside her home in Sturgis last month. Were serious as a heart attack. "I want you to walk out to the front of the house, show me the house number on the house," Middleton told Harris. And Bye Bye Tucker and Don. Lindsey got up to answer. It is more convenient for witnesses to log in to the hearing from home or work and go about their day until it is their turn to testify. Also Read :The Last of Us 2 Ellie Tattoo: About the Game and Tattoo. Support our reporting by becoming a Deadline Detroit member for as little as $3 per month. It came back online shortly after and this time, Harris could already be seen in police custody. Family law attorneys no longer have to waste hours in the car driving from courthouse to courthouse to attend hearings. The YouTube video was viewed more than 1.4 million times before it was taken down, according to an in-depth March 12, 2021 article in the Washington Post by Hannah Knowles. Deborah Davis, assistant prosecuting attorney for St. Joseph County, Mich., reacts as defendant Coby Harris is arrested during a March 2, 2021, court hearing held via Zoom. People need to know why they both would put themselves through so much pain, either emotionally or physically, and stop the judgments and criticism of either party. A Michigan assault case descended into chaos last week after an eagle-eyed prosecutor realized that the alleged abuser had joined the virtual court hearing from inside his victim's home. Mary Lindsey, a Southwestern Michigan single mother was seen in a dramatic courtroom video. She probably didnt want nationwide notoriety.. A Sturgis officer sends colleagues to the. Fam. Your bond is canceled.. However, it became more obvious that he was not wearing much else. An alert prosecutor sensed that, voiced alarm and started steps that brought Sturgis police to the scene. "You hit bottom and you're continuing to dig.". Middleton requested emotional wellness services for Harris. 'Um, I'm at a house,' Lindsey said. Im sorry I lied to you.. Harris was seen being led away by officers before Lindsey returned to her camera. "We may need to adjourn this, Your Honor," Davis told Middleton and the livestream stopped. The courts have had to dramatically change their systems to allow more remote access as individuals were unable to meet in person due to state rules concerning meeting in person during the pandemic. If you have $10 million, you can't bond out. The judge, police and prosecutors sat silent for several moments, waiting to see what was going on at Lindseys apartment. Harris, who kept looking off-screen, also vanished from the call. A cigarette jutted from his lips as he addressed the court. 'I want you to walk out to the front of the house, show me the house number on the house,' the judge said. If we start assuming that any time this occurs the responding party is engaging in intimidation to influence the petitioning party, we are essentially saying that you can never reconcile with your significant other if they have filed a DVRO against you because that will be per se evidence that you are abusive because you are engaging in witness intimidation. Are There Benefits to Virtual Domestic Violence Court Hearings? I hope she gets a raise for this." Do you think this was on their own volition or that they were forced to make these dramatic changes? Assault suspect attends Zoom court hearing from victim's home The judge says Harris shouldnt say anything else. What a public service gem. One contributor, Melissa Miller of Manooka, Ill., comments: "I don't know you, but I have been you. The woman, Mary Lindsey, hesitated when the judge asked for her location. Knocking on the door.. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning), Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy, Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American, https://www.uscourts.gov/news/2020/04/08/courts-deliver-justice-virtually-amid-coronavirus-outbreak, https://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/video-conferencing-guidance, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGOofzZOyl8, https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/05/04/san-jose-hot-mic-catches-insurance-rep-say-this-f-ing-judge-is-an-idiot-in-car-crash-trial/, https://www.fox23.com/news/trending/mans-zoom-court-hearing-ends-with-handcuffs-after-hes-found-attending-victims-home/GPHIUF67DNDUFDQHOGX6NY25RE/, https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20210304/surgeon-who-participated-in-zoom-court-hearing-fights-back, https://www.abc12.com/2021/02/26/bay-county-judge-scolds-man-for-appearing-nude-on-zoom-court-hearing/, https://radiolawtalk.com/radio-law-talk-voices/. West Michigan law enforcement: Four suspects drive stolen car into Holland gun store. Mary Lindsey, a Southwest Michigan single mom seen in a dramatic court video that surfaced this week, started an online donation drive "to get away" from an allegedly abusive boyfriend. In response, Judge Middleton informed him that the hearing had been adjourned but that his bond had already been canceled. Paul Gipson is a punk-a--dude.. The judge also said that given the circumstances, he would likely seek a new defense attorney for Harris. "People think its clear-cut," she said. Lindsey could be seen walking to the door and answering it, at which point her connection to the call dropped. Dont say any more about it, Middleton warned him. However, Ms. Lindsey's attorney noticed something on the zoom and. Video of the March 2 hearing is publicly available on Judge Jeffrey Middleton's. She knows what to look for and doesn't hesitate to step up.". Judge Jeffrey Middleton/Youtube, Coby James Harris, 21, was already facing a charge of assault with intent to commit bodily harm less than murder afteran incident that took place on February 9, the. Thats the first time I ever had anybody sitting in the next room potentially intimidating a witness to assault.. Jail officials told Middleton that Harris was agitated and had to be removed from the video room at the jail. U.S. District Court Judge James Donato indicated he was interested in continuing virtual conferences, regardless of what a post-vaccination world looks like. Though the full return to in-person proceedings remains on hold, Judge Donatos comments are a clear signal that the court system is embracing the benefits that virtual conferencing technology can offer. Harris was out on bond, a release which included the condition that he was not to contact Lindsey. Harris had initially been charged withassault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Holding hearings remotely can also be highly beneficial for California restraining order attorneys involved. Both Harris and Lindsey were attending a livestream court hearing March 2, along with attorneys and Judge Jeffrey Middleton. The hearing is adjourned. Coby James Harris is on Facebook. However, Ms. Lindsey's attorney noticed something on the zoom and believed that it was Mr. Harris in the same room as Ms. Lindsey. I do not want to be a cat on the call. streamed on the judges courtroom YouTube channel, Gov. You made a number of phone calls from jail to the complainant and told her not to come to court, Middleton said. Stay up to date with our daily newsletter, Cop Fatally Shot While Responding To Domestic Violence Call, Colorado Man Jailed For Domestic Violence Kills Wife A Week After Being Released, 'Because It's There': The Enduring Appeal Of Everest, Japan, South Korea Resume Finance Dialogue Amid Geopolitical Tensions, Normalising China-Australia Trade Will Take More Than A Political Fix, 'Godfather Of AI' Quits Google To Warn Of The Tech's Dangers, Rocket Fire From Gaza After Palestinian Hunger Striker Dies, Coby Harris was charged with assault and released on bond last month, He was on a no-contact order with his girlfriend Mary Lindsey, He was caught violating theorder during a virtual hearing on March 2, His bond has been revoked and he now faces additional charges.