Candidate for Michigan lieutenant governor due in Corunna court Sept. 23 in felony case

The man running for lieutenant governor of Michigan on the Libertarian ticket is due in a Corunna courtroom next Tuesday afternoon. Beau Michael Parmenter has an open felony case in Shiawassee County's 66th District Court, and the court's public hearing docket sets his probable cause conference for 1:15 p.m. Sept. 23, with Judge Matthew J. Stewart listed as the hearing officer.

Parmenter is the Libertarian Party's candidate for lieutenant governor on the Nov. 3 general election ballot, according to the Shiawassee County clerk's candidate listing. He filed June 29, 2026, listing an address on Birch Drive in Traverse City, and runs with Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Anthony Hudson of Grand Blanc. The same listing shows Democrat Winnie Brinks of Grand Rapids and Republican John James of Shelby Township at the top of the governor's race.

The case is docketed as People v. Parmenter, Beau Michael, case number 2026-26-01030-FY. The FY code marks it as a felony case type. The court's hearing records show a prior setting on Sept. 10 at 11:30 a.m., listed as "scheduled for arraignment," with court administrator Krissi S. Lab as the hearing officer. The case number falls far earlier in this year's sequence than the felony numbers the court is issuing for new September filings, which indicates the case was opened earlier in 2026.

What the case is about is not on the public board. The specific charge is not listed on the court's public hearing schedule. The Current has requested the case's Register of Actions from the district court clerk and will update this story when that record arrives. A criminal charge is an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted.

The docket lists Scott A. Koerner as the prosecutor on the case and Daniel Vincent Barnett as defense attorney. Veronica Beahlen is listed as the arresting officer; the docket does not identify her agency.

In Michigan felony cases, the probable cause conference in district court comes before a preliminary examination. The district court then decides whether there is enough evidence to bind the case over to circuit court for trial. Judge Stewart sits on Shiawassee County's 35th Circuit Court; he is the judge who ruled Aug. 7 that Owosso's 2024 water and sewer connection-fee increases were unconstitutional taxes, as The Current reported in August.

What happens next: the probable cause conference is set for 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, in Corunna. The Current is seeking comment from Parmenter and the Hudson campaign, and has asked the district court clerk for the Register of Actions, which would name the charge. Sources: the 66th District Court public hearing docket and the Shiawassee County clerk's ballot language and candidate listing.