A former mid-Michigan corrections officer recently pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors in Isabella County District Court.
Christopher Cluley was charged with aggravated assault and willful neglect of duty following an incident in 2020 in which he allegedly assaulted an inmate during a cell transfer, fracturing his knee.
Attorney General Dana Nessel charged Cluley with two felony counts, arguing he violated Michigan common law.
John Freeman, Cluley’s criminal defense attorney, said that as a part of his plea agreement, Cluley’s felony charges were dropped. He argued the charges were unfounded and that a department's code of conduct is not law.
“Converting an internal policy into an actual law and saying that if you violate an internal policy that equals a crime, we believe that that is an incorrect application of the law,” Freeman said.
In addition, Cluley will also not be allowed to work as a corrections officer in Michigan ever again.
In a statement, Nessel said she applauds the plea, stating that officers such as Cluley “must be held accountable when they break their oaths.”
Cluley is scheduled to appear in court in June and is expected to receive a sentence of one year of probation without jail time.
