Prosecutor: No criminal charges against Ingham County judge
ST. JOHNS - An area prosecutor declined Tuesday to authorize criminal charges against Ingham County Judge Rosemarie Aquilina related to the release of video of last month's Lansing courtroom attack.
Clinton County Prosecuting Attorney Charles Sherman received an order Sept. 14 from the Attorney General's Office to review investigative reports from the Ingham County Sheriff's Office for any possible criminal charges.
A lawsuit filed by Aquilina indicated the charge police sought was obstruction of justice.
Wriggelsworth told the State Journal last week that video of the attack is evidence in the courtroom attack investigation and should have only been released by the proper authorities.
In the federal lawsuit filed Friday against Wriggelsworth and the detective who investigated the case, Nick Bostic, Aquilina's attorney, said video of the attack, which could be viewed live or on playback by "all judicial assistants, information technology employees, and deputies assigned to courtroom security," was never designated as evidence or confidential.
Aquilina revealed in the lawsuit that a State Journal reporter asked to record video of the attack on his own device, and she agreed. The State Journal published the video as part of its coverage of the attack.
"I have decided not to authorize any criminal charges in this matter," Sherman wrote in a letter to the Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, which was originally given the case but referred it to the AG's office due to a conflict of interest.
"At this point I consider the matter to be resolved."
He declined to comment further.
Wriggelsworth said Tuesday that it was Sherman's decision on whether to authorize charges.
"It was our job to investigate it and it was their job to determine if there was a crime," he said.
A message was left seeking comment from Bostic. Last week he told the State Journal the Sheriff's Office investigated his client because Wriggelsworth was "embarrassed over the shank getting brought into the courthouse." In the federal lawsuit, Bostic said the investigation of his client was also a "retaliation for First Amendment protected activity."
The courtroom attack happened Aug. 2 as a jury was returning with its verdicts on two sexual assault charges against Joshua Harding, 35, of Okemos. Video from the courtroom shows Harding appear to remove a weapon from his sleeve and then run at Ingham County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jonathan Roth.
Video shows Meridian Township Police Officer Brian Canen, who was standing next to Roth, appear to see Harding running over and deflect Harding's arm as Roth ducks. Canen and deputies were able to subdue Harding. Roth was not injured.
Harding was sentenced last week to 19 to 38 years in prison on a sexual assault conviction from the August trial.
A day after his sentence, Harding was charged in connection to the courtroom attack. He is charged with terrorism, assault with intent to commit murder and two weapons charges. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Contact Matt Mencarini at (517) 267-1347 or mmencarini@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter@MattMencarini.