George Hunter of the Detroit News reports the court hearing Monday for four defendants in the beating of Clinton Township tree trimmer Steve Utash included outbursts and laughter from relatives of the defendants when the assault was described in detail.
In the end, three suspects were ordered to stand trial on assault with intent to commit murder charges.
A fourth defendant, 17-year-old Bruce Wimbush, waived his right to a preliminary exam and will face a trial.
Max Mohr, Utash’s brother-in-law, told Hunter he was disgusted by the courtroom behavior.
“Why would you laugh about someone being in the hospital?” Mohr said. “To make a mockery in the courtroom ... what can you do?”
Hunter writes:
During the hearing court deputies admonished onlookers for talking. One man was removed from the courtroom.
One defendant made a obscene gesture to a photographer. A group who described themselves as relatives of the defendants laughed when Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Lisa Lindsey read aloud Saffold’s description of how the mob kicked and punched Utash.
One witness, Anton Sykes, argued with visiting 36th District Court Judge Thomas Jackson and refused to give a statement about what happened at the beating scene. As he argued with the judge, several onlookers laughed and said “yeah!” and “you tell him!”
Utash, who was beaten after he stopped April 2 to help a youngster on Morang Avenue who had walked into his pickup truck, remains in the hospital.
