Court Accepts No‑Contest Plea, Orders Services and Schedules Disposition in Pulley Termination Case

At a hearing in Lenawee County Probate & Juvenile Court, the presiding judge accepted a no‑contest plea from Mister Pulley in a petition seeking termination of parental rights and ordered the Department to begin voluntary case services while the court considers disposition. The court also scheduled an initial disposition hearing for Nov. 17 at 11:30 a.m.

The court twice advised Mister Pulley of the rights he would waive by entering a no‑contest plea, including the right to a bench or jury trial, to confront witnesses and to subpoena witnesses in his favor. The presiding judge found the plea was made knowingly, voluntarily and with an understanding of the potential consequences and stated the court would accept the petition's factual circumstances as evidence.

Miss Sasha Thomas, counsel for the department, told the court the department was "agreeable" to the plea and emphasized the case would include a reintegration phase through a case service plan. Amanda Jones, identified in court as a department caseworker, described the services she expects the plan to include: parenting classes; ACPC counseling; supervised therapeutic parenting time to rebuild parent‑child bonds; education on body safety; and other services aimed at supporting reintegration. Jones confirmed a psychological evaluation would be included.

Jones told the court that the services should be ordered so the department can arrange and pay for them, citing the respondent's current problems with insurance coverage: "I do need them to be ordered so we can pay for them. Right now, he does have a little bit of problem with insurance." The court ordered that voluntary services be implemented by the department in the interim so the respondent may begin services immediately.

During the hearing the court and the department clarified that one alleged victim named in the petition was a stepdaughter who lived in the same household as the children central to this case. A department representative who visited the family on Oct. 23 reported the household includes three girls plus three half‑siblings, ages ranging from an infant to 16, and recommended speech evaluation and counseling for the children as part of reintegration supports.

The court stated it found probable cause and accepted jurisdiction, citing the statutory language spoken in court: "Under 7 m c l 7 1 2 a 0.2 b 1 and 2." The judge said the court would later determine at disposition whether the services should be incorporated into a final order and whether further court action, up to termination, is required.

The matter was continued to an initial disposition hearing on Nov. 17 at 11:30 a.m. The court noted that if services resolve the concerns, the case could be dismissed; if concerns remain, the court could order placement, additional services or consider termination of parental rights.

Next steps set by the court include implementation of voluntary services by the department, scheduling or completing a psychological evaluation, and the formal disposition hearing on Nov. 17 at 11:30 a.m.