Jared Butterfield jailed for contempt after court outburst (original) (raw)

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A Huron County man facing charges after police allege he strangled and physically assaulted a woman he was romantically involved with was removed from the courtroom and charged with contempt of court after an outburst in Huron County Circuit Court Tuesday.

Jared Cash Butterfield, 30, last known address in Kinde, was in court for hearings on several motions on Tuesday. One of those motions involved whether the prosecution would be allowed to enter an additional charge of third-degree criminal sexual assault in the case.

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As the prosecution was explaining what the 27-year-old woman who claims he assaulted her had told investigators regarding a sexual encounter she had with Butterfield following the alleged assault, Butterfield began shouting in the court denying the claims. During his tirade, he shouted a number of expletives toward Circuit Court Judge Gerald M. Prill, who was presiding over the hearing. Prill directed a deputy to remove Butterfield from the courtroom.

"I am trying to be as reasonable as possible listening to the evidence," Prill told Butterfield, before asking him if there was anything he'd like to say.

"Yes," Butterfield responded. "I'd like to say, I would like you to sit here and listen to these things and not have something to say yourself."

Butterfield claimed that the victim did not say she had declined the sexual encounter on the record, as was being alleged in court.

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"So if you bind this over, this whole f------ county is corrupt," Butterfield said. "That's what I have to say."

At that point, Prill informed Butterfield he would serve 10 days in jail, consecutive, for contempt of court, and Butterfield was taken back to the county jail.

Following a recess, Prill told the court that Butterfield had been offered to be placed in the jail's "Zoom room," so he could continue to witness the proceedings, though his microphone would be muted so he couldn't have another outburst. However, Prill was informed that Butterfield refused to enter the room or take part in any proceeding and that his attorney could present him with what was decided later.

"The court made every attempt to have him here," Prill said. "There was no issue having him here in the courtroom until the outburst, which the court's not going to tolerate, period. We have to have a proper proceeding, a proper decorum, and as a result, the court did what it did. If he does not wish to proceed via Zoom, we're going to continue on. I don't know what else to do."

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The judge eventually ruled that the third-degree CSC charge could be added to Butterfield's charges.

A motion to disqualify Prosecutor Timothy J. Rutkowski and add him as a defense witness because he spoke to the alleged victim before a court hearing was denied during the hearing. The defense was alleging that the conversation in question led to the surprise CSC allegation, which it said made Rutkowski a necessary witness.

Another motion to request a change of venue due to pretrial publicity on social media and YouTube regarding unrelated investigations threatened Butterfield's right to an impartial jury was taken under advisement until an attempt is made to seat a jury for trial. Prosecutors had argued that the court should wait until jury selection to determine whether an impartial jury could be seated before a change of venue is addressed.

A trial date was set recently in Butterfield's case for Monday, July 6 at 9 a.m. In March, he pleaded not guilty to the following charges:

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• Two counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder or strangulation, a felony that carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine
• Two counts of domestic violence — third offense, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine
• Three counts of felony firearm, each of which carries a mandatory two-year prison sentence following any sentence imposed for an underlying conviction, in this case for the domestic violence and assault charges;
• One count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine.

The victim testified during a hearing in 73B District Court on Feb. 26 how she and Butterfield had started casually dating in December 2025 and were returning from dinner in Saginaw one evening in January when Butterfield, who was driving, began to assault her.

According to the woman’s testimony, the couple eventually wound up at the home of one of Butterfield’s parents, where she says he continued to assault her by striking her in the face repeatedly.

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She told the court that at one point, Butterfield placed his hands around her neck and choked her. She also testified that she saw a semiautomatic handgun and a knife in Butterfield’s possession that evening.