"Being a public servant, they should know better,” said a concerned citizen.
A public servant accused of breaking the law, and it’s not the first time.
This court employee is now on administrative leave.
The Clare County Prosecutor says the probate court juvenile registrar, Steffi Brasington, is charged with drunk driving and running from police.
Officers arrested her two weeks ago.
9&10’s Cody Boyer and photojournalist Derrick Larr pieced together why this case took so long to result in criminal charges.
———————————————————
The prosecutor says it took two weeks to select a special judge to read the charges against Steffi Brasington, who also had to be lodged in a different county’s jail.
The delay brought with it questions from the community.
“She’s an employee of the court and judge farrow would, in essence, be an individual who is her direct supervisor so they had to have a judge appointed from a different county to handle the case,” says Michelle Ambrozaitis, Clare County Prosecuting Attorney.
Court documents show Steffi Brasington, 55, has been arraigned before on similar charges.
This time…
“She will enter a plea, straight up, guilty as charged,” Ambrozaitis says. :We did offer her a delay of sentence in the flee and elude only. It’s a max 2-year felony and with the delay of sentence, it would allow her the opportunity if she can complete probation without any problems, it would allow for her to have a dismissal of the felony charge, only."
A deal the Clare County Prosecutor says is typical, given the circumstances.
“It’s a deal that we would have offered anybody in this particular situation,” Ambrozaitis says. “Most certainly, felony probation is warranted in this matter."
“It would be like it never happened,” says Dwight Carpenter, Brasington’s attorney.
Carpenter says the defense is happy with the offer on the table.
“The way a delay of sentence works is she stays out of trouble for whatever period of time a judge orders, fines, cost, community service,” Carpenter says. “At the end of that period of time, if she complies with everything, the case would be dismissed."
Court documents show Brasington blew more than a .08 after she eventually stopped for officers.
With this being the second offense, concerns that justice is served.
"If it was you or me, they’d have had it over with by now and I don’t think they deserve any special treatment,” says a concerned citizen.
Brasington’s case was waived up to circuit court.
A judge there will decide what punishment she could face.
© 2023 - 910 Media Group
