HOLLAND SENTINEL – Ottawa County Judge Bradley Knoll has waived his arraignment hearing for a domestic violence charge, according to a report from The Grand Haven Tribune. Knoll, who serves as the chief judge of the Ottawa County 58th District Court, was arrested by the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety on December 13 and charged with misdemeanor domestic violence. His next court date will be a pretrial conference presided over by Muskegon County Judge Geoffrey Nolan.
The charge against Knoll involves the violation of MCL 750.812, which deals with assaulting a spouse, former spouse, someone with whom the suspect has or had a dating relationship, someone with whom the suspect has a child in common, or a resident or former resident of the suspect’s household. If convicted, he could face up to 93 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both.
A complaint filed against Knoll suggests that the charge involves his wife, and he has been ordered to have no contact with her or her residence. Despite the charges, Knoll is still serving on the bench, though he is not presiding over domestic violence cases.
Knoll was first elected as a judge in 2002, replacing the retiring Judge Hannes Meyers Jr. He was re-elected in November 2020 for another six-year term, which will be his last as state law requires candidates to be under 70 years of age at the time of the election. Knoll turned 70 in 2021.
The case is ongoing, and more developments are expected as it progresses through the court system.