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Willie Burton and Renata Miller
Two candidates squaring off for Detroit Council President Mary Sheffield’s District 5 seat have both had previous issues with the law involving the opposite sex.
Detroit Police Commissioner Willie Burton, 46, and Chrysler retiree Renata Miller, 57, are running in the Nov. 4 election. More than nine years ago, Burton was served with a personal protection order, and 21 years ago, Miller was convicted of a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence.
In Burton’s case, in February 2016, a 48-year-old Detroit woman he says was his then-fiancée filed a personal protection order in Wayne County Circuit Court against him, alleging he “continues making contact via phone, showing up at home and workplace.” He was 35 at the time.
The complaint also alleged that Burton “is threatening to come to work and church to embarrass me. He has also indicated that I may have an accident or come up missing.”
The petition was filed in Wayne County Circuit Court and signed by Judge Alexis A. Glendening in the Family Domestic Court division on Feb. 10, 2016. It prohibited Burton from communicating with, approaching, or confronting the woman on public or private property.
A court document shows the order was terminated about 3 1/2 months later, on May 31.
The woman who filed the report declined to comment to Deadline Detroit.
Burton told Deadline Detroit in a statement:
"Politics can be messy, but the truth matters. The personal matter being referenced happened more than a decade ago and was fully resolved. It was the result of a misunderstanding between myself and my then fiancé, and the PPO and was short-lived having been dismissed by the judge at the request of my fiancé.
"I was never criminally charged, nor have I ever posed a danger to any partner. Throughout my career, I’ve been a committed advocate for women—championing equity, opportunity, and safety and I will continue to advance those efforts when elected."
"It’s disappointing that, instead of focusing on the issues that truly impact our community, my opponent has chosen to weaponize the past for political gain, even while facing her own record of serious legal challenges, including an arrest and charge for domestic violence. I had hoped to leave this behind, but I will not stay silent as my character and integrity are unfairly attacked."
"Women deserve to be heard and represented, but their stories and experiences should never be manipulated for political advantage. Leadership requires integrity, empathy, and truth and those values will continue to guide me every step of the way."
In Miller’s case, the Detroit News reported on Aug. 27 that in 2004, when she was in her mid-30s, she was found not guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon, a felony, but convicted of a misdemeanor – domestic violence, involving an affair with a married man.
During the incident on Aug. 25, 2003, Miller reportedly showed up at the married man’s home in Oak Park the day after they broke up. The man alleged Miller hit him, used a tire iron to strike another woman’s car window, and bit his arm and scratched his face, The News reported.
She was given probation and paid the court $395.
The twist in the story is that she is now married to that man. She also attended anger management classes.
In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, Miller said that after a four-year period of no contact, she and the man began speaking again and eventually started dating.
"We’ve been married for 15 years," she told the Free Press, adding, "I don’t think he’ll ever cheat again!"
Miller called the episode “humiliating,” saying that she regrets the pain it caused her parents and children: “It hurts. It hurts them. So it hurts me because it’s hurting them.”
Her campaign declined to comment on Tuesday.
District 5 covers neighborhoods on both the east and west sides including Miidtown, Downtown, Brush Park, Indian Village and the North End. Sheffield is running for mayor instead of re-election to the seat.
In the August primary, Miller received 22.7 percent of the vote, followed by Burton, who came in second with 19 percent. The winner of the race will serve a four-year term on the council.
Both the Detroit News and Free Press have endorsed Burton.
