Preliminary hearing on petition filed 03/04/2025; participants agree to internal recording, not YouTube

A presiding judge at the Lenawee County Probate & Juvenile Court took the record for a preliminary hearing on a petition filed March 4, 2025, and the participants agreed not to broadcast the proceeding on YouTube and instead to use an internal recording, transcript excerpts show.

The stipulation came after attorneys were given time to consult and an attorney asked the court to avoid a public YouTube stream. Carson Hallowell, identified in the transcript as representing the matter "regarding that item to the minor children," asked, "is there any way we could keep this off of YouTube this morning?" The presiding judge opened the session by saying, "We're on record this morning for a preliminary, hearing on the petition filed 03/04/2025. We've made some time for the attorneys to talk as well as for mister McFarland to connect with his client before coming on record today."

A court speaker noted the hearing was already being broadcast, and the parties then agreed to an internal recording instead. As recorded in the transcript, the presiding judge said, "We just so stipulate. Yes, Shanna. That's preferable. Alright." The transcript also notes that Mr. McFarland was allowed time to connect with his client before proceeding.

The transcript does not specify further procedural steps, any rulings on the petition, or calendar scheduling for subsequent hearings. No formal vote or court order appears in the excerpt; the action recorded is a stipulation among the participants about the recording and broadcast of the session.