More Michigan Inmates Testify of Forced Sex

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By Battle Creek Enquirer

Published: 07/21/2003

The criminal sexual conduct trial of Steven Davis, a 42-year-old former Michigan corrections official, was continued until next week after additional prison records were revealed.
Prosecuting attorney Steven M. McLaughlin submitted several prison pass records to the court during Wednesday's trial. Because J.R. Colbeck, attorney for Davis, had not received copies of the records, he objected, saying that his defense strategy was built on the payroll records and interviews and he had not seen the gate records.
Branch County Circuit Court Judge Michael Cherry ordered all prison custodial records from May 1998 to September 2000 be brought to court. He also continued the trial into next week and adjourned an hour early Wednesday.
Davis is charged with four counts of criminal sexual conduct and one count of indecent exposure. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
Before the trial was adjourned Wednesday, two witnesses testified that they had been forced to have oral sex with Davis while inmates at Lakeland Correctional Facility.
Davis worked for the Michigan Department of Corrections at the Lakeland Correctional Facility from the 1990s to 2001. He was a quartermaster and frequently visited the prison's warehouse for clothing and other supplies.
Wednesday's testimony of two women inmates followed the pattern of previous testimony. The witnesses testified Davis struck up a conversation with them about family, Little League or cars and then digressed into sexual matters, which led to sexual encounters with him.
The first witness testified Davis exposed himself twice in her presence, but she did not report the incidents.
'I had a little time before going home. I didn't want anything to jeopardize going home,' she said.
On a third occasion, she testified Davis accompanied her to the basement to fill an order. While there, he forced her to have oral sex with him. She said the incidents occurred in the fall.
Colbeck questioned her about the dates of the events. Earlier written testimony given to a prison inspector didn't coincide with the dates in other interviews taken three years ago or her testimony in court.
The witness also was questioned about the basement incident, which wasn't mentioned in the earlier interviews. The witness said she didn't remember it until a year ago.
Colbeck showed that the witness had filed a lawsuit for damages suffered because of the alleged incidents with Davis.
The second witness worked at the warehouse in April and March 2000. She said first he exposed himself to her and then accompanied her to the basement of the warehouse and forced her to have oral sex.
She said she didn't report the incidents because she didn't want to do more time.
She said Davis told her she could get more time in prison if she reported him.
When an investigator first questioned the second witness, she said she didn't know anything, because she wanted to talk to a woman. Later, she gave written statements with a woman investigator present.
She testified she wasn't part of a lawsuit. But Colbeck produced a notice about a lawsuit against the Department of Corrections lists her among a group of prisoners.
The witness recalled the location of the incidents but had difficulty pinpointing dates of the incidents. She often answered questions saying, 'I'm not sure.' She gave conflicting statements about how many sexual encounters she had with Davis.
She also couldn't remember how long she worked at the warehouse, but said she worked every day. She testified the payroll records weren't always accurate.
McLaughlin is the assistant prosecuting attorney from Kalamazoo County. He is serving as prosecutor in this case because a girlfriend of Davis once was the Branch County Prosecutor's office manager.

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