Western Wayne Today

The Michigan Court of Appeals released a Michigan teen who spent 78 days in juvenile detention after she failed to complete her online schoolwork in violation of her probation on theft and assault charges.

Judge Mary Ellen Brennan, an Oakland County family court judge sent Grace, a high school sophomore, to the Children’s Village facility in suburban Detroit on the probation violations, a release issued on Bridge reported. The Court of Appeals released her to await hearings a week after the family court judge refused her attorney’s request to release her.

Just a few hours after the court order was issued, Grace left Children’s Village with her mother.

The appellate court panel ordered that she be “immediately released from detention to the custody of her mother,” Bridge reported.

She will remain free as she awaits the appeal of Brennan’s May ruling that Grace was guilty for failing to submit schoolwork and attending online school.

School board members, Michigan lawmakers and even the prosecutor in the case called for Grace’s release.

Grace is under home confinement and is still on probation with her appeal pending. Her attorney must submit a brief within 35 days supporting her appeal of Brennan’s decision on probation and her detention, Bridge reported. The prosecutor’s office, which stated that they supported her release, will have 21 days to respond.

Grace had been charged with assaulting her mother and stealing a cellphone from another student, Bridge reported. Her probation was set on April 21 for those charges and it required her to do her schoolwork. Violation of that order resulted in her being found guilty and put in detention.