Dale Warner Appears for Pretrial Conference

Mary Chartier, defense attorney, and her client, Dale Warner, via Zoom. Photo by Tracy Stengel

Dale Warner was in Lenawee County Circuit Court this morning via Zoom for a pretrial conference. In November 2023, Dale was charged with tampering and the murder of his wife, Dee Ann Warner. Last month, after a four-day preliminary exam, a judge ruled the prosecution provided enough evidence to bind the case over for trial.

Today, Dale’s attorney, Mary Chartier, gave the court a status update, indicating she was waiting on the transcripts from the preliminary examination. The court reporter estimated it would take about 90 days. “We’re probably about 5 weeks into that process, maybe a little bit longer, so roughly halfway through. Once we get those transcripts, we anticipate at least one motion date if not multiple motion dates,” Ms. Chartier said.

Ms. Chartier plans to meet with Jacqueline Wyse, the prosecuting attorney, independently to make sure her team has all the discovery well in advance of the trial. “We are being proactive to address any discovery issues before they arise,” Ms. Chartier said.

The Honorable Michael Olsaver addressed an issue he had discussed with counsel off the record in a video conference about a month ago regarding his assignment to this case.

“I previously disqualified myself from the District Court preliminary examination stage of the case. I did that in order to avoid even the slightest appearance of any impropriety, since at that stage, my role would have included making factual findings and I have been assigned to several other cases involving Mr. Warner – a civil case and now a least one probate case – I believe two. In addition to that, I had reviewed a number of search warrants related to this case and, so again, to avoid even any slight appearance of impropriety, I disqualified myself from the stage of the case where it would require me to make factual findings. At this point in the proceedings, I don’t believe that my continued assignment would create any similar issue, since from here forward, a jury would be charged with finding facts. As a result, I don’t think that I have any knowledge, bias, or any other reason that would require my disqualification,” Judge Olsaver said.

Judge Olsaver welcomed any parties who believed there was a reason to disqualify him from this assignment to file a motion and he would review it.

A pretrial date is set for September 4th, 2024, at 8:15 AM.

Dee Ann Warner was reported missing by her adult children on April 25, 2021. Dee had planned to tell Dale the night before she wanted a divorce. Dale admitted to the police there had been an argument but insisted Dee had willingly left him and their minor daughter. Later, he told Det. Sgt. Daniel Drewyor, Michigan State Police, that Dee was living with a drug cartel in the hills of Jamaica.

Dee’s four adult children and her extended family have vehemently denied Dee would have ever left her nine-year-old daughter or separated herself from her loved ones. By all accounts, Dee’s family was her world.

Dee was legally declared dead in March 2024.

For more background information on the case of Dee Ann Warner, you can start here. Join the Justice for Dee page to get all the latest updates. Please follow me and share this article on social media to raise awareness of Dee’s story.

If you have an opinion on this case, I’d love to read it in the comments!