BY LARRY SOBCZAK
EDITOR
Bruce Township Clerk Susan Brockmann’s pretrial hearing has been scheduled for an alleged drunken driving incident that took place Sept. 11 at the Bruce Township Hall.
The hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m., Dec. 6 at the 42-1 District Court-Romeo in front of Judge Denis LeDuc.
Pretrial hearings allow for attorneys representing the defendant and the prosecutor to work out legal issues involving the case. The attorneys could agree on a plea bargain and ask the judge to approve it which would allow the case to avoid a trial.
Brockmann has been charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (OWI) with a high blood alcohol content (BAC).
At 3 a.m. on Sept. 11, troopers from the Michigan State Police responded to a breaking and entering alarm at the township hall to find two cars parked near the building.
According to the state police, a trooper positioned his vehicle behind the parked vehicles and approached Brockmann who was in her vehicle using her cell phone.
According to a traffic report written by trooper Roger Haddad, Brockmann proceeded to place her 2007 Jeep Commander in reverse and back into the trooper’s vehicle, causing minor damage to both vehicles. No injuries were reported.
The trooper asked Brockmann to perform a Breathalyzer test which he said indicated her blood alcohol content was 0.20 percent which is considered so-called “super drunk” under Michigan law.
The legal limit blood alcohol content under Michigan law is 0.08%.
According to Brockmann’s driving record at the Michigan Secretary of State, this would be her first drunken driving offense if convicted.
According to the Secretary of State, Brockmann only has one other infraction on her driving record—a speeding ticket for driving 75 miles per hour in a 70 mile per hour zone on June 16, 2014 near St. John.
If convicted of OWI with blood alcohol content above 0.17% Brockman could face misdemeanor penalties including up to a $700 fine, 180 days in jail and 360 hours of community service, according to state law.
She could have her license suspended for one, six points on her driver’s license and a mandatory completion of an alcohol treatment program according to state law.
Convicted drunken drivers could have an ignition interlock for 45 days after license suspension is lifted which limits their ability to use their vehicle.
Convicted drunken drivers are subject to a $1,000 penalty for two consecutive years under the Driver Responsibility Act, for a total of $2,000 in additional costs.
Under Michigan election law, the governor can remove a township clerk from office if convicted of being drunk.
Brockmann was first elected township clerk in 2008 and won the Republican Primary in August by 155 votes against Trese Servitto-Smith. Brockmann ran unopposed in the Nov. 8 election.
Brockmann’s attorney made a court appearance on Sept. 26 on her behalf and asked to have her arraignment waived when and if charges were filed.
Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith’s office formerly requested that charges be filed against Brockmann on Oct. 27 which was one day before a write-in candidate could file an affidavit to run against Brockmann.
Smith’s office said that there was no unusual delay in processing the paperwork they received from the Michigan State Police.
Lt. Mike Shaw, who is a spokesman for the Michigan State Police, said that it typically takes several weeks to deliver the paperwork and evidence to the prosecutor’s office for processing.
The district court scheduled the Dec. 6 pretrial hearing on the morning of Nov. 14.
Brockmann contacted The Record on Monday, Nov. 14 after an article about the charges went to press.
She said that she was instructed by her attorney not to speak to the media about the alleged incident.
Brockmann did not offer many more details about the traffic report and incident report filed by the Michigan State Police except to say that she said that she entered the township hall to use the bathroom at 3 a.m.
“This is a private affair between my family and me,” she said.
