(WWJ) Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has secured a temporary court order blocking the release on parole of Roederick Hunter, a 62-year-old inmate serving a 25-to-75-year prison sentence for multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct involving a minor.
The 16th Circuit Court in Macomb County granted Nessel's motion for a temporary stay just prior to Hunter's scheduled release date, allowing the court to review an emergency appeal aimed at permanently reversing the Michigan Parole Board's decision.
Nessel's office said Tuesday that Hunter, who is incarcerated at the Central Michigan Correctional Facility, will remain in custody pending further court orders.
Details of the conviction
Hunter was convicted by a Macomb County jury in 2005 on eight counts of First-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct and one count of Second-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct. The charges stemmed from the systematic rape of a child over a two-year period, beginning in 1996 when the victim was 7 years old.
Despite receiving a 25-to-75-year sentence, Hunter became eligible for parole prior to completing his 25-year minimum sentence. Because the assaults occurred before Michigan enacted truth-in-sentencing legislation, Hunter was permitted to accumulate "good time" credits to shorten his minimum term.
Uncharged DNA evidence and appeal arguments
In 2014, DNA evidence directly linked Hunter to an unsolved 1991 rape. Due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, criminal charges could not be brought for that crime. Although Hunter previously admitted to committing the 1991 assault, he later claimed to have no memory of the offense and denied knowing how his DNA was present at the scene.
In the emergency appeal, the Department of Attorney General argued that granting Hunter parole represents a clear abuse of discretion by the Parole Board. Filings from Nessel’s office highlight documentation showing that Hunter:
- Lacks honesty regarding his underlying convictions.
- Blames the victim for the crimes committed against her.
- Refuses to express remorse for his actions or sympathy for the survivor.
The appeal further asserts that Hunter’s parole guidelines were calculated incorrectly. Specifically, the filing states the initial scoring failed to account for the physical violence Hunter inflicted when the young victim attempted to refuse him, as well as the fact that he transported her to evade others while committing the assaults.
"Sexual assault survivors show a tremendous amount of courage coming forward and reliving their trauma at trial to see their abusers brought to justice," said Attorney General Dana Nessel. "To go through all of that, only to see a perpetrator who shows no genuine remorse and refuses to take full accountability serve less than his minimum sentence is unacceptable. Mr. Hunter’s history proves he remains a clear threat to the public, and he must stay behind bars."
With the temporary stay in place, the 16th Circuit Court will schedule hearings to determine whether the Parole Board's decision to release Hunter will be formally overturned.
