By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


A Stockbridge man charged with assaulting two men with a baseball bat will take his case to trial, but exactly when that will be remains undetermined.

41-year-old Wayne Seely is charged with two counts each of Assault with Intent to Murder, Assault with Intent to do Great Bodily Harm Less Than Murder, and assault with a dangerous weapon. The charges stem from an incident last August in Putnam Township. Livingston County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to an assault complaint, with an investigation indicating that Seely had attacked two 40-year old acquaintances with a baseball bat. Both men were hospitalized with serious injuries, with one of them ultimately losing an eye in the attack.

Seely was later located at his home in Stockbridge, where he was taken into custody by the Livingston County Regional SWAT Team after several hours of negotiations.

In court Friday, Seely’s attorney Ed Literski indicated that efforts to reach a plea deal had failed and they were requesting a jury trial. Livingston County Circuit Court Judge Michael Hatty then set a status conference for April 30th, but noted that because of rising COVID cases, he was unsure when they would be able to actually hold a trial.

Based on that uncertainty, Literski requested that his client’s $1 million dollar bond be reduced to either a personal bond or a recognizance bond, saying “we can’t just let him sit and rot.” Prosecutors objected, citing the serious nature of the charges. Judge Hatty agreed the seriousness of the charges prevented him from lowering bond, but added that as soon as he could get “14 people that are inoculated” he would set a trial date.

If convicted, Seely faces up to life behind bars.