ASHLAND — Three people charged Wednesday for their involvement in a Savannah dog attack that severely injured a 6-year-old boy entered pleas of “not guilty” at their initial appearances in court Friday morning.
The Aug. 17 incident resulted in a 911 call that lasted over 10 minutes and a call for a medical helicopter, according to previous Ashland Source reporting.
Angelina Williams, 28, of Cleveland, is the boy’s mother. She has been charged with endangering children and obstructing justice. Taylor Desiree Marvin-Brown, 29, of Sandusky, faces the same charges.
Robert Michalski, Jr., 47, of Savannah, was charged with endangering children and tampering with evidence.
In a series of three back-to-back hearings Friday morning, all three defendants entered “not guilty” pleas. They also each waived their rights to a preliminary hearing.
Magistrate Emily Bates of the Ashland County Court of Common Pleas presided over the Friday hearings.
Bates explained waiving a preliminary hearing, or probable cause hearing, means the case is bound to an Ashland County grand jury for its consideration on probable cause.
The defendants also all have lawyers now. Williams is represented by Robert Rolf Whitney of Mansfield; Marvin-Brown by Kristopher Immel of Akron; and Michalski by Donald Keith Wick of Mt. Gilead.
All three defendants are scheduled to appear for additional hearings Sept. 20.
Bond reduction?
In Marvin-Brown’s hearing Friday, Immel was appointed as his attorney after Marvin-Brown told the court he was homeless and had lost his job following the charges.
Immel asked the court to lower Marvin-Brown’s bond in order for him to live at his mother’s house in Norwalk. Marvin-Brown’s bond is set at $250,000.
Immel told the court Marvin-Brown is hopeful for employment upon release. He added Marvin-Brown has no prior criminal convictions aside from traffic violations. No additional charges against Marvin-Brown appear in the Ashland County Common Pleas Court records.
“While we understand the serious nature of these charges and the allegations laid forth in the complaint, we’d ask the court to reduce that bond to maybe $25,000, 10%, something my client has the ability to post,” Immel said.
He added Marvin-Brown would willingly be placed on GPS and house arrest as a condition of a reduced bond.
County prosecutor Christopher Tunnell objected to the modification. Tunnell said the defendant displayed the “key problem with him as it would relate to bond.”
“He just got done telling the court that he was homeless, and now that it would benefit him, ‘Oh wait, I do have a residence and here it is,'” Tunnell said. “This defendant, thus far, has demonstrated a propensity to lie in an effort to benefit himself.”
Tunnell said given these concerns, bond should remain the same.
Bates said she’d take the bond reduction on advisement, and would issue a decision on the matter by the end of the day Friday. The decision had not been issued at the time of publication.
Lawyers for Williams and Michalski did not make asks for bond reduction Friday. Williams’ bond sits at $300,000, and Michalski received a $150,000 cash bond.
This story will be updated.
