The Maple Valley Township supervisor was acquitted of an alleged Open Meetings Act violation on Thursday.
John Schwandt was found not guilty in a verdict announced by Montcalm County District Court Judge Adam Eggleston, as the afternoon’s trial was a bench trial instead of a jury trial at the request of Schwandt and his attorney, George “Pete” Frye of Greenville. The judge said that while Schwandt may have violated the Open Meetings Act, it could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he did it intentionally.
An effort to expand this township’s voting precincts from one to two will not come to fruition due to a combination of missed deadlines and a possibly-forged document submitted by the township clerk.
