First jury trial in over a year begins next week in 51st Circuit Court.

Hansen

First jury trial in over a year begins next week in 51st Circuit Court.

By Allison Scarbrough, Editor.

Editor’s note: Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

LUDINGTON — The first jury trial in over a year begins next week in 51st Circuit Court following a long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The trial against Chris Bernard Hansen, 65, of Manistee begins Tuesday, June 29, at the Stearns Hotel across the street from the courthouse.

Hansen was captured by Mason County sheriff’s deputies following a high-speed chase down Ludington Avenue one year ago during the early morning hours of June 23, 2020.

Hansen, who was recently paroled for a second-degree murder conviction, rammed a vehicle in the Meijer parking lot several times before fleeing from police, said Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole.

Hansen faces the following charges:
• Three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon (a vehicle), which is a four-year felony. This is related to the three occupants in the vehicle he reportedly rammed in the Meijer parking lot.
• One count of fourth-degree fleeing and eluding a police officer, which is a two-year felony.
• One misdemeanor count of reckless driving.
• One misdemeanor count of failure to stop at the scene of a traffic crash.
• One misdemeanor count of violation of restricted driver’s license.
• Fourth-offense habitual offender notice.

The venue of Stearns Hotel will allow for more room for jurors and other people involved in the trial.

Please consider helping fund local news. Mason County Press and Oceana County Press are available for free thanks to the generous support of our advertisers and individuals who support our service. Click on the PayPal donation button located on the top right of our website.

This story is copyrighted © 2021, all rights reserved by Media Group 31, LLC, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. No portion of this story or images may be reproduced in any way, including print or broadcast, without expressed written consent.

As the services of Media Group 31, LLC are news services, the information posted within the sites are archivable for public record and historical posterity. For this reason it is the policy and practice of this company to not delete postings. It is the editor’s discretion to update or edit a story when/if new information becomes available. This may be done by editing the posted story or posting a new “follow-up” story. Media Group 31, LLC or any of its agents have the right to make any changes to this policy. Refer to Use Policy for more information.