News Photo by Mike Gonzalez Judge Laura Frawley, Defending Attorney Ravi Gurumurthy, Prosecuting Attorney Brendan Curran, and defendant Michelle Elowski all video call via Zoom for the arraignment hearing at the Oscoda County Courthouse on Monday.

ALPENA — Michelle Elowski, an Alpena attorney whose license was suspended on April 3 by the Michigan Supreme Court, pleaded not guilty at the arraignment hearing for her Oscoda County case on Monday.

According to discussions between Alcona County’s 23rd Circuit Court Judge Laura Frawley, who oversees Elowski’s case, Defending Attorney Ravi Gurumurthy, and Prosecuting Attorney Brendan Curran during the hearing, Elowski will have three separate jury trials for the different counts she faces.

Elowski faces one count of check fraud with non-sufficient funds of $500 or more, one count of embezzlement by a trustee of $1,000 or more but less than $20,000, and one count of embezzlement by a trustee of $50,000 or more but less than $100,000.

Each count will have a trial of about two to three days, but Frawley has not set any dates. A final status conference between the attorneys and judge will take place on July 2 for any updates, motions, or other actions needing to happen before trials start.

Gurumurthy motioned for changes in Elowski’s bond, requesting the removal of her tether and the extension of her paper driver’s license, as court systems have her licenses and passports as a requirement.

Frawley denied the motion for tether removal but renewed and extended Elowski’s paper driver’s license.

The arraignment hearing comes after Elowski waived her right to a preliminary examination and moved the matter from 81st District Court to 23rd Circuit Court on April 17, the same day that Elowski was granted a personal protection order against Alpena resident Steven Meno by Alcona County’s 23rd Circuit Court Judge Laura Frawley.

On March 5, Steven Meno filed a lawsuit against Elowski, requesting $2,500 for a retainer fee he had given Elowski for different legal matters with which she had helped him.

Elowski made a motion to turn the small claims lawsuit to general courts but missed the deadline and Meno was awarded the $2,500 on April 10 by default.

Elowski filed a lawsuit to set aside the default order, as Elowski claims Meno caused her emotional distress, but that lawsuit was denied. Elowski said in court on Wednesday that she plans to appeal.

Separately, on March 11, Judge Allen Curtis of Alpena County’s Probate Court sentenced Elowski to 45 days in jail for direct contempt of court for abruptly leaving a civil court proceeding in November, which Elowski said was due to a medical issue. The Michigan Court of Appeals, however, stayed the enforcement of that sentence, allowing Elowski to stay out of jail until the court resolves the appeal.

Curtis has ordered Elowski to repay more than $500,000 to two families, but Elowski told the court in February the money is gone.