Stuart Dunnings III

Stuart John Dunnings III (born October 29, 1952) is an attorney who served for 19 years as the prosecutor for Ingham County, Michigan, and was the second African-American to be elected to such office in Michigan.[note 1]

Stuart Dunnings III
Ingham County Prosecutor
In office
January 1, 1997 – July 2, 2016
Preceded byDonald Martin
Succeeded byGretchen Whitmer[1]
Personal details
Born (1952-10-29) October 29, 1952
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
Cynthia Dunnings
​
(m. after 1977)​

Career

Prior to seeking elected office, Dunnings got his start at his father's law firm, Dunnings and Frawley, where he was a partner for 16 years. From 1987 to 1996 he was a member of the bar for Michigan's Standing Committee on Character and Fitness, and from 1989 to 1998 served as adjunct Professor of Law at Thomas M. Cooley Law School.[2]

Dunnings was first elected Ingham County Prosecutor in November 1996, beating incumbent Donald Martin.[3] He was most recently reelected for a fifth term in 2012.[4] He had built a reputation of cracking down especially hard on prostitution,[5] sexual assault, domestic abuse,[2] and sex trafficking.[6]

On March 14, 2016, Dunnings was charged with one count of pandering, which is a felony, and 14 misdemeanor counts; ten of engaging a prostitute and four of willful neglect of duty.[7][8] Following the charges, he was placed on "medical leave"[9] with his duties being taken over by Chief Assistant Prosecutor Lisa McCormick.[10] He announced his resignation effective July 2, 2016.[11][12][13]

In May 2016, Gretchen Whitmer was appointed as interim Ingham County Prosecutor, assuming Dunnings' role until the end of his term, which expired January 1, 2017.[14]

On August 2, 2016, Dunnings pleaded guilty to one count of misconduct in office (a five-year felony) and a misdemeanor count of engaging the services of a prostitute, as a part of a plea agreement with the office of Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette. In exchange for a guilty plea, Schuette's office will dismiss a total of 14 charges related to prostitution, including a pandering charge, which carried a maximum of 20 years in prison. His law license was subsequently suspended.

In November 2016, Dunnings was sentenced to three years of probation, with the first year served in jail. While still serving his prison sentence, the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board formally disbarred him on July 11, 2017 and on July 18 the U.S. District Court and U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan banned him from practicing.[15][16]

To avoid any conflicts or safety concerns at the Ingham County Jail, where he sent countless defendants over his two decades in office, Dunnings served his time in the Clinton County Jail.[16] Due to good behavior Dunnings was released from jail two months early just after midnight on September 24, 2017.[17]

Personal life

Dunnings was born to lawyer and activist Stuart John Dunnings, Jr., and Janet Taylor Dunnings.[18] He has two siblings; Shauna, who is a judge, and Steven,[18] who is also a lawyer.[19]

Dunnings married Cynthia Dunnings in 1977. She filed for divorce in March 2016, following the charges made against him.[10][12]

Dunnings is a Democrat,[20][21] and supported Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election, with his personal website advertising said support.[20]

Notes
  1. In 1948, Percy J. Langster was the first African American ever duly elected as a prosecuting attorney in the United States. This was in Lake County, Michigan.

References
  1. Justin A. Hicks (May 11, 2016). "Whitmer chosen for interim Ingham County prosecutor". Lansing State Journal.
  2. "Most Interesting and Influential 2005: Stuart Dunnings III > The New Citizens Press | TNCP | Lansing Michigan News > TNCP | Greater Lansing MI News". www.tncp.net. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  3. "Former Ingham County prosecutor Donald Martin dead at 71 | The MiLW Blog". milawyersweekly.com. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  4. "Election 2012 results: Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III re-elected in landslide". MLive.com. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  5. "Prosecutor known for fighting prostitution charged with paying for sex hundreds of times". Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  6. Mic. "Ingham County Prosecutor Allegedly Hired Prostitutes Hundreds of Times Over 5-Year Period". Mic. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  7. "Stuart Dunnings' political future unclear after charges". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  8. "Ingham County Prosecutor Arrested On Prostitution Charges". Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  9. Justin A. Hinkley (June 15, 2016). "Dunnings camp remains silent on prostitution charges". Lansing State Journal.
  10. TEGNA. "Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings' wife files for divorce". WZZM. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
  11. "Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney > Home". pa.ingham.org. Retrieved 2016-04-04.
  12. "Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III to resign". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved 2016-04-04.
  13. Pierret, Ann. "Stuart Dunnings III has resigned, what's next?". www.wilx.com. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  14. Justin A. Hinkley (May 11, 2016). "Whitmer chosen for interim Ingham County prosecutor". Lansing State Journal.
  15. State of Michigan, Attorney Discipline Board (July 11, 2017). "Notice of Disbarment" (PDF).
  16. Justin A. Hinkley (July 18, 2017). "Stuart Dunnings III loses law license". Lansing State Journal.
  17. Justin A. Hinkley (September 24, 2017). "Stuart Dunnings III released from Clinton County Jail". Lansing State Journal.
  18. "Stuart J. Dunnings Jr.'s Obituary on Lansing State Journal". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
  19. "Dunnings investigation broadened to past criminal cases". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
  20. "Stuart Dunnings for Ingham County Prosecutor". www.stuartdunnings.com. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  21. "Stuart Dunnings informs Ingham County he is resigning as prosecutor". MLive.com. Retrieved 2016-04-06.


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