Marshella Chidester Released on Bond in First Court Appearance After Birthday Party Crash

Marshella Chidester, the Newport, MI woman charged in the fatal crash into a children’s birthday party at the Swan Boat Club on April 20, 2024 was arraigned Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in an emotionally-charged hearing at Monroe County’s First District Court.  She was released on a $1.5 million dollar bond with conditions.

The 66-year old appeared frail and solemn wearing a right arm cast, shuffled slowly into the courtroom unassisted.
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​Mrs. Chidester who sat rigidly faced forward barely showed any emotion as she was arraigned on two counts 2nd Degree Homicide, two counts Operating While Intoxicated Causing Death and four counts Operating While Intoxicated Causing Serious Injury.
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Marshella Chidester and defense Attorney Bill Colovos (Bing Images, 2024)

Murder charges faced by Mrs. Chidester may run consecutive or concurrent if convicted for each death under the same transaction, according to the judge.

Either way, she faces life in prison.

​Each murder charge carries a potential life sentence, OWI Causing Death carries a possible 15 years or $2500 to $10,000 monetary sanction and OWI Causing Injury carries a maximum 5-year penalty or $1,000 to $5,000 fine.

The Arraignment
The prosecutor requested a $1.5 million dollar bond with conditions asserting a high probability of conviction due to ample video evidence but also claimed she is a ‘high-risk to the public’ based on his description of the defendant having a ‘severe substance abuse issue" corroborated by friends and family.

He argued that the defendant is also facing two life sentences for the double-homicide of Alanah Phillips (8) and her little brother, Zayn Phillips (4) along with other offenses.

Marshella Chidester, Bing Images

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​Defense attorney, Bill Colovos, pleaded with the court to be wary of pre-judgement penalties despite the horrors of the case since the defendant has not yet been found guilty of any charges.

Colovos struggled to argue over the explosive outbursts of the courtroom gallery.

He emplored the judge to consider that Mrs. Chidester has no priors, is 66 years of age, has owned her home more than forty years and lives a peaceful life in retirement with her husband.

Mrs. Chidester is a retired supervisor of a nuclear plant from DTE Energy.  She has been retired for 9 years, according to news reports.

Colovos states, “She doesn’t even have a traffic ticket in fifty years of driving…and over sixty years of living; he continued, "She is better than me.”

Her attorney denies prior legal system involvement despite being described as “…a ‘known drunk’ whose drunk-driving caught up with her,” by a fellow-member of the Swan Boat Club who spoke via Zoom during the arraignment hearing.

Attorney Colovos further advised the court that Mrs. Chidester suffers from occasional epileptic-type seizures in her legs since last November (2023) which she was treated for that day without any medical restrictions on driving, except for a few months, prior to the accident.

The defense requested a $100,000 bond with home confinement.

The prosecutor refutes the claim stating that besides testing significantly above the legal limit for intoxication, there is no evidence that she suffered from a seizure the day of the crash.

Colovos attempts to dispel rumors blurted out by courtroom attendees informing the court that Mrs. Chidester had ingested a single glass of wine and a bowl of chili about 4 hours prior to the accident, somewhere between 11 a.m. – 12N.

The boat club crash occurred around 3 p.m.
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The judge allowed a few victim-impact statements, not a common occurrence at the arraignment stage of the prosecutorial process and proceeded with his ruling.
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​The Ruling
The judge determined that a $1.5 million dollar was appropriate based on the two murder charges, both carrying life sentences

Mrs. Chidester was ordered on bond release with conditions: first, monitoring by GPS tether.

The defendant was ordered to report to pre-trial services, attend any court directed appearances for examination, trial, sentencing, etc.

She must obtain court approval to leave the state, notify the court of any change in address or other contact information, surrender her passport, refrain from alcohol and other controlled substances, and submit to substance testing and monitoring,

She is also prohibited from operating a motor vehicle and the purchase or possession of a firearm or other dangerous weapon.

Marshella Chidester was bound over for a probable cause hearing on April 30th before Judge Michael Brown.

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Related Article:
​Marshella Chidester Will Stand Trial For Double-Homicide in Birthday Party Crash
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