Court-imposed travel and reporting restrictions were lifted April 18 for a former Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce president accused of child abuse.
Deborah Wing was arrested two weeks earlier by Holmes Beach police for allegedly slapping a family member.
At a pretrial hearing, Wing’s attorney, Brett McIntosh, told 12th Circuit Judge Edward Nicholas the matter was “essentially a family dispute” and Wing — with travel plans that include the family member in May — is not a flight risk.
After hearing from the family member, the judge removed the supervision but said a “no non-consensual contact” order would remain in place between Wing and the family member.
Wing had been released from the Manatee County jail April 5 on a $500 bond and court supervision with standard pretrial conditions, such as weekly reporting and travel prohibitions outside Manatee and its contiguous counties.
“I think bond is more appropriate for this case,” Nicholas said.
After the hearing, McIntosh told The Islander the Manatee County Child Protection Investigations Division closed its case on the incident and he expected the state attorney’s office to drop the case as well.
The Holmes Beach police arrest was “100 percent improper,” McIntosh added. He said parents can discipline their children with slapping.
Officers responded to a call from Wing at the Harrington House Bed and Breakfast Inn, 5626 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, where Wing resides with her boyfriend and her family member.
The police reported Wing told them the subject had run away from their home.
The missing person was found by a witness to the incident and returned while police were at the residence. There, the witness and the victim told the officers Wing had repeatedly slapped the family member and had to be restrained from further hitting the subject, according to police reports.
Wing served as president of the island chamber 2015-17.