Wife drops domestic violence charges against husband

Monday, February 21, 2011

The wife of a man who faced multiple bond hearings on a 2010 domestic violence case dropped the charges against her husband.

Jennifer Wininiger told Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Rebecca Stern this morning that she hadn't lied in her original testimony, but she and her husband had reconciled and she wanted to move on.

Wininger said that she also hit her husband, David Wininger, during the Aug. 23, 2010 incident which led to his arrest.

"At the time I was not on my medication," she said while on the witness stand.

Since the incident, she said she's on medication and attending counseling.

David Wininger was charged with two counts of domestic assault and false imprisonment at the time. Those charges were dismissed upon Jennifer's Wininger's request.

She will be responsible for associated court costs. The amount was not immediately available.

The original arrest spurred multiple bond hearings for David Wininger and an official judicial complaint against Hamilton County Court General Sessions Court Judge David Bales.

During David Wininger's initial sessions court hearing, Bales set a $70,000 bond, but his attorney, Wendy Stanfield, later appealed the decision to Stern, who released David Wininger on his own recognizance.

Bales called Stanfield before him on Nov. 17 questioned why she took her client to Stern and later brought Wininger back to his court, had him arrested and set an $80,000 bond

Stern recused herself from another hearing and Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge Jackie Shulten reviewed Bales' bond amount, lowering it to $4,000 the same day.

Local attorneys Hank Hill and Myrlene Marsa, with the Chattanooga Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, filed the complaint against Bales with the Tennessee Court of the Judiciary on Nov. 20.

For complete details, see tomorrow's Times Free Press.