09012011 - Police Chief David Hague - Charges Dropped - Boyne Falls PD

Also See:

Chief David Hague charged with domestic violence [June 30, 2011]

http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2011/06/chief-david-hague-boyne-falls-pd.html

Hague criminal charges to be dropped
September 01, 2011
Sheri McWhirter
Petoskey News
http://www.petoskeynews.com/

CHARLEVOIX — Criminal charges against former Boyne Falls police chief David Hague are expected to be dropped for lack of evidence.

Hague, 53, of rural Charlevoix County, faced a domestic violence misdemeanor charge after an altercation with his estranged wife in June at his home on M-66 near East Jordan. Charlevoix County’s assistant prosecutor Kerry Zahner filed a motion on Tuesday to dismiss the case because of insufficient evidence to meet the burden of proof, according to court records.

Judge Richard May is expected to sign the motion today, Thursday, Sept. 1.

Charlevoix attorney Chris Turkelson, Hague’s defense attorney, could not be reached for comment, nor could Zahner. The motion calls for the case to be dismissed without prejudice.

Meanwhile, Boyne Falls officials fired Hague from his law enforcement job.

Debra Taylor, village clerk, said Boyne Falls’ leaders terminated Hague’s employment as the village’s sole police officer at their meeting on Aug. 9.

“They decided to stop the police department for a while here, but it doesn’t have anything to do with David being off,” Taylor said.

Hague took a leave of absence from his law enforcement job after his arrest on June 21, she said.

Michigan State Police records show the dispute arose when Hague’s wife returned to the home to collect clothing for their youngest child. The police report also shows she saw and took notes Hague kept about her comings and goings at the house, but he struggled to retrieve them and allegedly pushed her against a wall.

Reports also show the incident continued when she attempted to take things from a child’s bedroom, but Hague blocked her. Finally, police documents show Hague’s wife took and kept for several weeks a backpack with his personal paperwork and his village-issued mobile phone for his police job.

Taylor said that’s why she shut off service to the taxpayer-funded phone.

Later in the day, hours after the physical altercation, Charlevoix County Sheriff’s deputies returned to the home after Hague’s wife crashed her vehicle into the house. Authorities said the crash was not intentional.