Attorneys/Judges
| Prosecutor(s): | Burke Castleberry |
Animals seized from neglect
Belleville, MI (US)Incident Date: Sunday, Nov 1, 2009
County: Lenawee
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged:
» John H Barden, M.D.
» Melissa Dawn Runyon-Wynn
A former Belleville physician and his partner in a medical clinic at Devils Lake appeared Thursday in Lenawee County District Court for their first hearing on animal cruelty and child abuse charges since they were arraigned on Dec. 1, 2010.
No action was taken other than to schedule a second hearing for Feb. 18, 2010.
The couple are accused of leaving three young children unattended in the Devils Lake Medical Clinic where they were exposed to used needles and other medical waste and equipment. Dr. John H. Barden and Melissa Dawn-Runyon Wynn also allegedly failed to provide adequate food and shelter to a dog, three horses and 15 chickens that Lenawee County sheriff’s deputies found at their Round Lake Highway home.
“I think this is an unfortunate situation. Dr. Barden has been a respected member of the medical community for 40 years,” said Jackson defense attorney George Lyons.
Barden started the clinic on U.S. 223 at Devils Lake last year after closing his former practice in Belleville.
Lyons said Barden is returning to practice in the Detroit area. Lenawee County no longer offers him a climate that would be conducive to a successful practice, he said.
The Lenawee County prosecutor’s office has also filed a civil claim involving the animals against Barden, 68, and Wynn, 26, who acted as manager for the clinic.
The county is seeking to take permanent possession of the animals in the civil case, said assistant prosecutor Burke Castleberry. He said Barden relinquished any claim to the animals at a hearing last month. A second hearing is set for Tuesday where he said Wynn will also be asked to surrender ownership.
Private citizens have volunteered to care for the animals at no cost since they were taken in November 2009, said Lenawee County Undersheriff James Anderson.
“We found some people who, out of the kindness of their hearts, agreed to take care of the animals while the case is being adjudicated,” Anderson said. The horses are showing marked improvement in their condition, he said. If the county gains ownership, he said, permanent homes will be found for the horses as well as the dog and chickens.
The children, ages 6 years to 8 months old, have been placed in foster care until custody is decided, said Castleberry.
Castleberry and Lyons discussed the case and potential resolutions outside the courtroom Thursday before agreeing to set a new hearing date. Barden and Wynn remain free on bond. Each is charged with a felony animal cruelty count carrying a maximum four-year prison term and with three misdemeanor charges each of fourth-degree child abuse that carry up to one-year jail terms. References- The Daily Telegraph News - January 29, 2010
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