ONTONAGON, MI— Ontonagon County’s Circuit Court has halted the parole of a man serving time for assault with intent to commit murder from the Saginaw Correctional Facility.
Paul Gauthier, 70, was convicted of strangling and smothering his girlfriend in 2009. He has served 15 years of up to a 30-year sentence and was scheduled to be paroled Wednesday, July 12th. But Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel requested a stay of enforcement and an emergency application for leave to appeal in opposition to his parole.
She says Gauthier remains unremorseful and a danger to the public and that the Parole Board failed in their duties and abused their discretion by approving his parole.
Ontonagon County Circuit Court granted the stay Tuesday. Gauthier will remain in prison while the court considers the application for leave to appeal.
