Temple
By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor
HART — A six-person jury found a 39-year-old man guilty of a misdemeanor of domestic violence in Oceana County’s 79th District Court Monday, Dec. 15.
Kurtis Scott Temple was sentenced to 10 days in jail with credit for one day served; one year probation; and $735 in fines and costs, according to court records.
“It all stemmed from a very large argument between the defendant and the victim who at the time was still his wife and is now his ex-wife,” said Oceana County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Harrington. “They were in the process of separating. During the argument, it ultimately escalated to the point where the defendant shoved down the victim and she fell over some furniture and onto the floor.”
The ex-wife did not suffer any immediate injuries, and no medical treatment was sought, said Harrington.
“Our evidence mainly came from the victim and two other witnesses.” The other witnesses were the couple’s daughter and her boyfriend. “All three of them basically told the same story, and the defendant did testify and he told something that was completely different. Ultimately, the jury believed our side and not his.” Two police officers who responded to the scene also testified.
The assault occurred April 18, 2024 in the couple’s Newfield Township home.
The jury deliberated for less than 15 minutes before returning with a guilty verdict, said the assistant prosecutor. Judge John Middlebrook sentenced Temple shortly after the verdict was read.
____________________
Please Support Local News and Sports coverage
Receive daily MCP and OCP news briefings along with email news alerts for $10 a month. Your contribution will help us to continue to provide you with free local news.
Payment can be made monthly via credit card, bank account, PayPal or Venmo through recurring email invoicing. These payments can be set up for autopay each month.
To sign up, email editor@mediagroup31.com. In the subject line write: Subscription. Please supply your name, email address, mailing address, and phone number (indicate cell phone). We will not share your information with any outside sources. For more than one email address in a household, the cost is $15 per month per email address.
Alternative methods:
- We can send you an invoice for a yearly payment of $120, which you can conveniently pay online or by check. If you are interested in this method, please email editor@mediagroup31.com and we can sign you up. You can also mail a yearly check for $120 to Media Group 31, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454 (please include your email address).
Payment must be made in advance prior to subscription activation.
We appreciate all our readers regardless of whether they choose to continue to access our service for free or with a monthly financial support.
_____
This story and original photography are copyrighted © 2025, 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.
.png)
