MUSKEGON COUNTY, Mich. — In April Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged four Muskegon County jail guards and a former jail nurse with involuntary manslaughter following the 2019 in-custody death of Paul Bulthouse at the county's jail.
Wednesday the first step in Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's effort to take those charges to trial started inside a Muskegon County District Courtroom with two assistant attorney general presenting evidence and calling witnesses to testify.
The four guards and former nurse appeared for day one of what's expected to be a three-day probable cause hearing after which a judge will determine if the case can proceed to Muskegon County Circuit Court for trial.
Day one of the AG's case involved numerous objections over evidence and witness testimony by attorneys representing Deputy Sgt. David Vanderlaan, Deputy Jeffrey Patterson, Deputy Crystal Greve, Deputy Jamal Lane and former Wellpath Registered Nurse Aubrey Schotts.
Bulthouse, 39, was arrested by the Norton Shores Police Department on March 22, 2019, and brought to the Muskegon County Jail on a probation detainer.
The AG's case is expected to center on more than nine-hours of video from inside the jail, and camera angles showing Bulthouse naked while experiencing what Nessel says were 22 seizures over 5 hours.
In April Nessel said Bulthouse was classified as suicidal, which required he be monitored by officers every 15 minutes. His cell was always in close proximity to the county jail booking center and he was always visible on video monitors. Bulthouse died in custody at 5:30 a.m. on April 4 after 13 days after being booked in the jail.
The two assistant attorney general present evidence and calling witnesses to testify will attempt to convince the district judge the guards and nurse failure to care for Bulthouse.
The charge of involuntary manslaughter is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The probable cause hearing resumes on Thursday.
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