Wenatchee-based Bible Study Leader Released on $750,000 Bond, Trial Set for Early 2023
Prosecutor mentioned a new victim had come forward, argued for keeping the bond at $1 million
Correction: a previous version of this article indicated that Jim Kovach, director of the Wenatchee High School Golden Apple Band, was present at Wilson’s arraignment. He was listed as a character witness by Wilson’s lawyer in the Motion for Bail Reduction, but he did not attend the arraignment.
Michael Wilson grinned and waved to supporters and friends in the gallery as he made his way to the stand at the Chelan County Superior Court during his arraignment hearing on the morning of Nov. 21, 2022.
Wilson has been charged with nine sexually-related crimes in Chelan County Superior Court. The arraignment hearing was to set the terms and conditions of his bail as well as the date of his trial.
Chelan County resident Sara Christensen was also in the gallery, but she wasn’t there to support Wilson.
“As soon as he walked out, he was waving and smiling at everybody and just so happy to see everyone,” she said. “They were waving at him and clearly on his side. I was just so horrified at that.”
Among the individuals listed as character witnesses in the Motion for Bail Reduction submitted by Wilson’s lawyer were his former boss, Mike Franza, retired Principal and Dean of Students at Wenatchee High School, as well as Jim Kovach, director of the Wenatchee High School Golden Apple Band. Bryan Visscher, retired Maintenance and Operations Director for the Wenatchee School District and Chris Hanson, a project designer at MJ Neal Associates Architects in Wenatchee, also showed up in person to speak on his behalf. More people attended the hearing on Zoom “due to an inability to be physically present on short notice,” according to Brandon Redal, Wilson’s lawyer.
Redal petitioned Superior Court Judge Travis Brandt to reduce his client’s bail to no higher than $100,000 in a motion for bail reduction submitted to the court on Nov. 18.
“The State appears to have taken the ‘kitchen sink’ approach with respect to charging in an apparent effort to leverage both Mr. Wilson in defense of the case and to apply pressure to the Court to maintain the current bail amount now that Mr. Wilson is able to make an arrangement through counsel,” Redal wrote.
Redal pointed to Wilson’s lack of criminal history, his support from friends and community members, history of employment and home ownership as reasons his bail should be greatly reduced. Redal also entered into the record that Wilson had no history of threatening witnesses.
But according to the minutes, Judge Brandt noted that Wilson did have a “history of threatening witnesses” and noted his concern “for the community and interference with the administration of justice.”
Deputy prosecutor Julia Hartnell argued to maintain the bail amount of $1 million dollars and “informed parties that a new victim had come forward.”
According to the minutes, Redal also moved to allow Wilson to travel throughout the state and proposed that he should be able to continue to receive visitors at his home, attend religious services and provide “pastoral care.”
Hartnell had no problem with travel within the state but pushed back on Wilson being able to receive visitors, attend religious services and provide “pastoral care” in his home without conditions.
“I thought the prosecuting attorney did a good job keeping her cool and saying, ‘This is why kids don’t come forward,’” Christensen said.
She also said she was impressed with Judge Brandt because he “didn’t buy” what Redal was selling and only dropped the bail by $250,000 rather than the $900,000 they were asking for.
As for Wilson’s connection to Grace City Church, a GCC spokesperson told NCWlife reporter Jefferson Robbins that Wilson stopped attending their church “a few years ago.”
However, many of the people Wilson is ordered to have “no contact” with because they may be called as witnesses in his trial are in GCC’s membership directory. One is a member of the pastoral staff.