Former Shelby Township Priest Found Competent to Face Criminal Charges

Macomb Daily
November 27, 2019

https://www.macombdaily.com/news/copscourts/former-shelby-township-priest-found-competent-to-face-criminal-charges/article_829a057c-115f-11ea-971e-7f1a03c92e94.html

A former Shelby Township priest accused of sexually assaulting a boy decades ago has been found mentally competent to face the allegations.

Neil Kalina, 63, is charged with four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct for alleged behavior with a boy while Kalina was assigned to St. Kieran Catholic Church during the mid-1980s, according to police.

Kalina was among several men in the clergy charged this year with sexual-conduct-related allegations while serving at churches in Michigan as part of a special investigation under state Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Kalina had been referred for a mental exam to determine whether he understands the charges against him and can assist in his defense.

He was determined to be competent Tuesday, according to a court official.

A preliminary examination in the case is scheduled for Dec. 16 in front of Judge Douglas Shepherd in 41A District Court in Shelby Township.

He remains held in the county jail in lieu of a $100,000 bond.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and lifetime electronic monitoring.