YPSILANTI, MI — A Michigan district court judge put a firm end to nearly a year of excuses, sentencing a probationer to 93 days in jail after he completely abandoned his court-ordered obligations, picked up new criminal charges, and remained on bench warrant status for almost a full year.
The probation revocation hearing before Judge Simpson in Washtenaw County 14A-1 District Court highlighted the court’s refusal to offer endless leniency to probationers who fail to maintain basic contact with probation officers.
Two Years of Inaction and a Year-Long Bench Warrant
The defendant, Terrence Eugene Powell, appeared at the podium in custody to address his outstanding probation violations. Court records revealed that Judge Simpson had originally sentenced Powell over two years prior, in May 2024.
However, Powell stopped reporting to his probation officer entirely in August 2024. Shortly after, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest, and Powell remained on absconder status for nearly 12 months.
During the hearing, Powell’s defense attorney pleaded for leniency, asking the judge to give Powell another chance at probation or grant him credit for time served in neighboring Wayne County.
The defense outlined a series of personal hardships Powell experienced during his probation term, including:
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The deaths of both his biological and adoptive mothers.
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Intermittent homelessness and losing stable housing.
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Lack of reliable transportation to make in-person court appearances.
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Recent enrollment in an online university studying 3D arts and graphic design.
The defense attorney also noted that Powell was deeply concerned about his dog, claiming his current landlord threatened to surrender the pet to the animal shelter if Powell was remanded to custody.
“I’m Just Trying to Do Better”
Taking the microphone himself, Powell admitted his life had been “rocky and rough” since catching the original case, pleading directly with Judge Simpson for a second chance.
“I know I’m asking for a lot, but I really want another chance at probation,” Powell said. “My dog is over there… She said, ‘If you get locked up, I’m going to take your dog to the pound.’ I need that dog… it’s like my support system right now.”
Powell attempted to explain away his recent arrests in other jurisdictions, arguing that some tickets—such as open alcohol container and park curfew violations—were unfair because police only cited him while letting his companions go free.
“Not a Single Thing to Your Benefit”: Sentenced to Jail
Judge Simpson remained entirely unmoved by Powell’s long list of excuses.
The judge pointed out that despite facing immense personal challenges, Powell failed to do even the simplest, zero-cost task required of him: keeping in touch with the probation department. Furthermore, while ignoring his probation, Powell actively picked up new criminal cases across multiple district courts.
“It was over two years ago that I sentenced you,” Judge Simpson admonished. “You’ve been on bench warrant status almost coming up in a couple months for a year. Through all of that, you have done absolutely nothing… There’s not a single thing here that in any way goes to your benefit to say you’re going to do the right thing.”
When Powell attempted to interrupt with further excuses about losing his cell phone, Judge Simpson cut him off, emphasizing that Powell knew his obligations and simply chose not to fulfill them.
Refusing to reinstate him on probation, Judge Simpson officially revoked Powell’s probation status, sentencing him to 93 days in jail with credit for 2 days already served.
Judge Simpson waived any remaining probation terms, ordered all unpaid financial obligations to remain active, and officially discharged Powell’s case without improvement.
Full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3D9VEPsF8Q