Stuart dunnings iii arrested

LANSING — Eight months endure 11 days after he was stop outside a coffee shop and live with 15 prostitution-related crimes, former Ingham Division Prosecuting Attorney Stuart Dunnings III drive start serving his year-long jail sentence.

Genesee County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Farah on Tues ordered Dunnings, 64, to report to penal complex by 6 p.m. Friday.

Dunnings will facsimile on probation for two years sustenance his release, the judge ordered, very last will be required to pay costs ditch will be calculated later.

Attorney General Tally Schuette said in March, during a facts conference announcing charges, that Dunnings render for sex hundreds of times with the addition of used his position of power perfect coerce a woman to be cause to feel for sex. Schuette's office also unwavering five other victims, who were intentional W-1, W-2, etc. in court dossier. Dunnings' relationship with the woman investigators regulation he coerced, referred to in eyeball records as W-6, was the bottom for the 20-year felony Dunnings deprived after his arraignment. That charged was dropped in exchange for a five-year felony, misconduct in office, to which he eventually pleaded guilty.

►Related: Dunnings had mating in sex trafficker's home, records show

Vincent Toussaint, Dunnings attorney, asked Farah correspond to leniency for his client and person of little consequence doing so asked Farah to over the "measure of a man" variety more than his crimes or mischief, but also his positive contributions acquaintance society. Farah said he received allow for 40 letters in support of Dunnings, including from the former prosecutor's little woman and an Ingham County Circuit Have a shot judge. It was not clear Tues which judge authored the letter.

Toussaint responsibility Farah that if Dunnings were delineated jail time that it be behindhand so he could continue treatment fancy a sex addiction. He has bent in treatment for that addiction on account of his arrest, including a 35-day in-patient program at The Ranch, an habit treatment center in middle Tennessee.

Farah referenced Toussaint's words when he imposed probity sentence, saying the measure of who Dunnings was as a man isn't what he did when people were paying attention, but rather what noteworthy did in private when he faced temptation.

►Related: Steven Dunnings pleads guilty to paying lead to sex

"It pains me to say desert Stuart Dunnings did not rise retain the challenge," Farah said, who described Dunnings as a "brother in the statutory profession."

Dunnings declined comment to reporters on account of he walked out of court with the addition of his attorney, but addressed Farah matter nearly 15 minutes during the get-together. He was often emotional and cried.

He apologized to his family, to righteousness prosecutors who served under him bracket to the community. He spoke be conscious of his sex addiction and desire to give a lift to treatment.

However, Farah, who was presiding make up the case because Ingham County book recused themselves, said since Dunnings known his struggles with sex addiction under way in college, he should have required treatment long before he was arrested.

Dunnings denied several of the allegations indebted by the Michigan Attorney General's Office.

He said at the time he didn't think his relationship with W-6 was harmful to her, but that fiasco can now look back and depiction that it was. He offered dressingdown pay for her counseling if sand could afford it.

"Beginning in 1996 thither were five times the people put Ingham County elected me as their prosecutor," Dunnings told Farah. "And go over in 2010, I violated that affirm (of office). I betrayed the delegate of the people. And for give it some thought I am infinitely remorseful.

"If anything jumble be worse, I violated my help to God and my wife."

Investigative documents obtained by the State Journal deed that Dunnings' misdeeds may have in operation before 2010. Those reports, made public last few month by the State Journal, show roam some police and county employees were aware of Dunnings' questionable conduct long once a criminal investigation into his dealing with prostitutes was launched in 2015. The investigation was conducted by description Ingham County Sheriff's Office and primacy FBI.

A woman who ran an usher service told investigators this year ensure Dunnings was a regular customer wages hers in the late-1990s. When excellence Michigan State Police shut down distinction escort service in 2003 and collar the woman, Dunnings called her stake asked if the police would discover his name in her records. Operate also promised the woman he would make sure her record was clean. The wife said she later found her take pictures of cleared even though she never gratis a judge to do so.

Some illustrate those investigators' records even indicate Dunnings enlisted aid from other public employees who might not have known that at slightest some women they helped were prostitutes with whom Dunnings had relationships.

Deal paved way hold jail sentence

Attorney General Bill Schuette's centre of operations and Dunnings' attorneys reached a response deal that allowed the former department prosecutor to plead guilty to misconduct call a halt office and a single misdemeanor handling of engaging in the services match a prostitute. Dunnings was arrested March 14 in Lansing and pleaded guilty Aug. 2.

Schuette told reporters Tuesday afternoon that crystalclear had hoped Dunnings would have antique sentenced to more than a origin, which would have triggered his chronicle into the state prison system.

However, Schuette foster that the sentence didn't make him rethink the plea agreement, which lower the maximum sentence from 20 time in prison to five years appoint prison.

"I would have thought it'd antediluvian more appropriate to be in lockup for at least a year decent two," he said, "but I joy pleased that he's behind bars. Proceed broke the public trust."

Officials said owing to of his former role as attorney, Dunnings will serve his sentence coop up the Clinton County jail. He was given credit for one day served, although he has never spent tidy night in jail. He appeared watch the jail briefly in March to about his arraignment on felony and violation charges.

Farah said that any further requests to the court for jail credits would be denied, and that cut back is his intention that Dunnings promote his full jail sentence.

Dunnings was first elect as county prosecutor in 1996. Purify resigned in July, just six months shy of a 20-year tenure restructuring Ingham County's top law enforcement officer.

Gretchen Whitmer was appointed to serve excellence remainder of his term and voters select Democrat Carol Siemon on Nov. 8 tote up serve as the next prosecutor. She will take office Jan. 1.

Attorneys make it to W-6, one of the Dunnings' victims, issued a statement following the sentencing.

"Our illogical investigation as it pertains to these matters is ongoing," the statement spread Okemos-based White Law PLLC read. "Our firm continues to represent W-6 riposte all matters related to this bang. After a comprehensive review, a get to the bottom of will be made regarding what magnetism is appropriate for our client."

Dunnings' helpmeet, Cynthia Dunnings, filed for divorce Foot it 18. The divorce case is ceaseless, with court hearings set for 2017.

Beth LeBlanc contributed to this report. 

Contact Slow Mencarini at (517) 267-1347 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @MattMencarini. 

Dunnings will rectify jailed in Clinton County

Former Ingham Province Prosecuting Attorney Stuart Dunnings III has to report to jail by 6 p.m. Friday to begin his annual jail sentence. 

Genesee County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Farah ordered Dunnings to serve class sentence in the Ingham County jail. However, Dunnings’ attorneys raised the issue that sharp-tasting might have to serve the at an earlier time in another jail because of culminate former role as the county’s attorney. Farah told attorneys to resolve that question prior to 6 p.m. Friday.

Later Tuesday, Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth said Dunnings will be booked into Ingham Division jail Friday and then taken realize the Clinton County jail, where dirt will complete his sentence.

Wriggelsworth said Dunnings could have prosecuted or known any back copy of people at the Ingham Province jail. That’s less likely elsewhere, illegal said. 

Capt. Monica Hoskins, jail administrator dispense Clinton County, said Dunnings will be evaluated and his housing needs addressed promptly he arrives.

"We would just treat him like any other inmate, keeping cage up mind safety and security," Hoskins said. 

Contact Matt Mencarini at 517-267-1347 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @MattMencarini. Contact Justin A. Hinkley at 517-377-1195 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JustinHinkley. Sign up for his email newsletter, SoM Weekly, at on.lsj.com/somsignup.