Overview
- Oakland County Judge Maureen McGinnis said she needs more time to decide whether to bind four defendants over to circuit court after closing arguments concluded Tuesday.
- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed nine felony health care fraud charges against former CEO Tamela Peterson, who was arraigned, released on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond, and set for a Jan. 27 probable cause conference and a Feb. 3 preliminary exam.
- Peterson, safety director Jeffrey Mosteller and manager Gary Marken are charged with second-degree murder or alternatively involuntary manslaughter, while chamber operator Aleta Moffitt faces involuntary manslaughter and falsifying medical records.
- Testimony detailed discontinued grounding straps, a blanket handed to the child straight from a running dryer, a polyester pillow, and rolled-back chamber cycle counts, with Troy Fire Deputy Chief Shawn Hugg identifying static discharge as the likely ignition source while noting some evidence remains untested.
- Defense attorneys argued the fire’s cause cannot be reliably established from the current record and urged the judge not to send the case to trial.