With the circuit court arraignment scheduled for tomorrow morning, prosecutors are seeking permission to use a previous conviction as evidence against Andrew Jewell, the man accused of grabbing a child at a Sandusky thrift store.
Jewell, last in court on December 5, is charged with attempted unlawful imprisonment, kidnapping/child enticement and assault/battery after trying to drag an 8-year-old girl into the bathroom of the local Hope Thrift Store in August.
While character evidence is generally not admissible in court, prosecutors have already successfully invoked its use in this case, as Assistant Prosecutor Robert Heyboer successfully argued for Sanilac County District Judge Gregory Ross to hear evidence related to Jewell’s Saginaw County misdemeanor conviction. Heyboer hoped to establish a pattern of behavior.
With this strategy in mind, it appears that prosecutors hope to continue establishing that pattern, submitting a notice to the court on December 15, informing Circuit Court Judge Timothy Wrathell of the evidence pending admission and the rationale explaining why it should be admitted to the case.
Jewell had been charged in February 2022 with assault and battery after entering a women’s restroom and allegedly grabbing another young girl and putting his hand over her mouth. While Jewell insisted on the stand that he did not do that in the Saginaw incident, it should be noted that Jewell ultimately pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge stemming from the circumstances, and that Jewell admitted to having contact with the case’s victim.
Jewell is scheduled to be in circuit court on Wednesday, December 20, at 9:00 a.m. for his arraignment and pretrial conference.
