Also See:
Deputy Joseph Clewley - Charged with child abuse [May 05, 2012]
Attorney: Former Ingham County Sheriff's detective's hitting teenage son was 'a 30- or 45-second event that changed the course of his life'
Published: Monday, August 06, 2012, 3:39 PM
Updated: Monday, August 06, 2012, 3:41 PM
Brandon Howell
MLive.com
http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2012/08/attorney_former_ingham_county.html
"I've had 50 percent custody of my boys since they were 3 and 5," he said at his sentencing hearing Monday. "I've raised them essentially as a single parent from 2004 to 2011 -- I just recently got remarried.
"I love my boys. I would do anything for my boys," Clewley said, fighting back tears.
Ingham District Judge Donald Allen sentenced Clewley to six months probation,$760 in fines and costs, anger management and counseling and five days of community service. Clewley is not allowed to patronize locations where alcohol or controlled substances are consumed.
Clewley, 46, of Leslie, struck his son on May 5, court records show. On May 24, he was charged with third-degree child abuse, a two-year felony, and suspended from the Ingham County Sheriff's Office.
"This incident I'm very sorry for," Clewley told Allen. "I reacted to an incident between the two of them (his sons)... I've taken extensive parenting classes. I have listened to audio, read two books, been to group therapy for parental concerns and how to raise children. I have learned a lot.
"I'm open to new theories and information on how handle stress, stress management, anger, and anger management. Continuing to search out answers on how to prevent this from happening again."
Clewley pleaded to a lesser charge of aggravated domestic violence, a three-year misdemeanor, in late June. He was terminated from the Sheriff's Office on July 19, according to Major Sam Davis. Clewley had served with the agency for 12 years, most recently as a detective.
Prior to Allen's ruling, Clewley's attorney, Nick Bostic, asked the judge to avoid jail time for his client. Bostic urged Allen to consider Clewley's circumstances.
"Obviously, people don't come into court as police officers and have any expectation of being treated special or getting a special break," Bostic said. "But we have a situation where Mr. Clewley has lost his employment...and it's the kind of job it's what you are, it's not just what you do. That's devastated him.
"(It was) a 30- or 45-second event that changed the course of his life."
Bostic also noted Clewley opted against invoking reasonable parental discipline as a defense.
"He dismissed it...because he did not want to put his children through that," Bostic said. "If you think that Joe Clewley is the kind of guy that would add stress and anxiety and burden his children for himself, then you don't know Joe Clewley."
Allen said he was not prepared to incarcerate Clewley, adding he had read "half a dozen or more" letters submitted in Clewley's defense. Some were from former law enforcment coworkers, and one was from Clewley's brother, explaining their upbringing, the judge said.
Allen asked what Clewley has learned thus far in his parenting counseling.
"Parenting is always a perpetual learning curve," Clewley responded. "I'm going to put the parenting styles I've learned into action as I slowly get more visitation with my boys and try to fix and repair the damage that I have done. I'm going to continue to seek help in trying to manage my life, the stress."
"So that's kind of where you're at, just a continued work in progress?" Allen asked.
"Yes sir," Clewley replied. "I assure the court that this will never happen again."
Allen said the sentence he imposed aims to bring Clewley's assertion to fruition.
"I want to make sure that this does not replicate itself," Allen said. "I'm encouraged by the fact that you're saying that it will not happen, but I want to make sure that we put in place safeguards to try and keep it from happening as well."
The conviction will be stricken from Clewley's record, Allen ruled, if he successfully completes the probation term. Clewley is scheduled for review in February 2013, court records show.
Former Ingham County sheriff's detective sentenced to probation for striking son
Published: Monday, August 06, 2012, 2:24 PM Updated: Monday, August 06, 2012, 3:34 PM
Brandon Howell
MLive
http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2012/08/former_ingham_county_sheriffs.html
Joseph Clewley, 45, of Leslie, was sentenced to six months probation, $760 in fines and costs, and anger management and counseling. Ingham District Judge Donald Allen also ruled Clewley is not allowed to patronize locations where alcohol or controlled substances are consumed.
Clewley was originally charged with third-degree child abuse, a two-year felony, but pleaded to a lesser chargeof aggravated domestic violence, a three-year misdemeanor, in late June.
Clewley served with the Ingham County Sheriff's Office for 12 years. He was suspended from the agency on May 24, the same day charges against him were authorized.
The case was prosecuted by the Eaton County Prosecutor's Office. The Ingham County Prosecutor's Office recused itself due to Clewley's position with the county Sheriff's Office.
Allen ruled the criminal conviction will be removed from Clewley's record if he successfully completes probation. A violation of said probation could result in jail time.
Prosecutor: Plea deal for Ingham sheriff's detective originally charged with child abuse a 'fair and appropriate resolution'
Published: Tuesday, June 26, 2012, 5:29 PM
Updated: Tuesday, June 26, 2012, 5:31 PM
Brandon Howell
MLive
http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2012/06/prosecutor_plea_deal_for_ingha.html
Ingham County sheriff's Detective Joseph Clewley on Tuesday agreed to a plea deal reducing a felony charge resulting from his alleged abuse of his 13-year-old son in May to a misdemeanor.
The deal struck at a pretrial conference lessened a charge of third-degree child abuse, a two-year felony, to aggravated domestic violence, a one-year misdemeanor, according to Eaton County Senior Assistant Prosecutor Neil O'Brien.
Prosecutors offered Clewley, 46, of Leslie, the plea bargain after considering several important factors, O'Brien said.
"After we consulted with the child's mother and reviewed the facts, we believed that this was a fair and appropriate resolution to the case," he said. "In any case when you're talking about assaultive crimes, we're concerned from a law enforcement perspective of trying to make sure that there's going to be an impact that this prosecution has on people's behavior, and that's no different in this case."
Clewley, who has served with the Ingham County Sheriff's Office for the past 12 years, was arraigned on the child abuse charge on May 24, the same day the charge was authorized by prosecutors.
Ingham County sheriff's Chief Dep. Greg Harless previously said Clewley was suspended without pay from the department on May 24 before he was arraigned. Clewley remains suspended from work, Ingham County sheriff's Major Joel Maatman confirmed Tuesday.
The case was prosecuted by the Eaton County Prosecutor's Office. The Ingham County Prosecutor's Office recused itself due to Clewley's position with the county Sheriff's Office.
O'Brien added prosecutors were wary of calling on Clewley's son to testify against his father.
"The defendant, based on whether the case is resolved in a matter satisfactory to him, may have forced us into putting this boy on the stand, testifying against his dad to accomplish about the same outcome that we could have in this plea agreement," O'Brien said.
"There wasn't a major difference (between the two charges) in my mind. It was six of one, half a dozen of the other," he added, noting Clewley and his attorney, Nicholas Bostic, agreed to the plea deal.
O'Brien said Clewley was offered no special consideration due to his position in a law enforcement capacity.
"We are concerned with public perception of how the criminal justice system handles these matters," he said. "We're the public's agent on the side of law enforcement, but we still have to make decisions as to what the appropriate initial charge was and how to resolve it, regardless of who the defendant is.
"In this case, I don't believe it is different than just what a regular layperson defendant's outcome would have been. It's the media who seems to be focusing on who this defendant is."
Clewley is scheduled for sentencing before Ingham District Judge Donald Allen on Aug. 6 at 1:30 p.m.
Ingham County sheriff's detective pleads guilty to lesser charge stemming from alleged abuse of 13-year-old son
Published: Tuesday, June 26, 2012, 3:24 PM
Updated: Tuesday, June 26, 2012, 3:43 PM
Brandon Howell
MLive
http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2012/06/ingham_county_sheriffs_deputy.html
MASON, MI -- An Ingham County sheriff's detective pleaded guilty to a lesser charge stemming from an incident that originally resulted in his being charged with third-degree child abuse of his 13-year-old son.
Joseph Clewley, 46, of Leslie, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to aggravated assault before Ingham District Judge Donald Allen, court records show. The charge is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year imprisonment and a $1,000 fine.
Clewley, who has served with the Ingham County Sheriff's Office for the past 12 years, was arraigned on the child abuse charge on May 24, the same day the charge was authorized by prosecutors.
Ingham County sheriff's Chief Dep. Greg Harless previously said Clewley was suspended without pay from the department on May 24 before he was arraigned.
"As soon as we found out the charge was going to be issued he was suspended," Harless said earlier this month.
Clewley remains suspended from work, the Sheriff's Office confirmed Tuesday afternoon.
The alleged incidence of abuse occurred in May, court records show.
The case is being prosecuted by the Eaton County Prosecutor's Office. The Ingham County Prosecutor's Office recused itself due to Clewley's position with the county Sheriff's Office, Harless said.
Clewley is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 6 at 1:30 p.m.
Calls placed to the Eaton County Prosecutor's Office and Clewley's attorney, Nicholas Bostic, were not immediately returned.
