Father, 9-year-old Daughter Driver in Tears While They Reunite After Court Hearing in Child Abuse

Brownstown Township— The father who let his 9-year-old daughter drive him around because he was too drunk to get behind the wheel had an emotional reunion with the girl Tuesday after a judge allowed him the permission to reunite with her.

At a court hearing Tuesday before 33rd District Judge Michael McNally, the 39-year-old Brownstown Township resident Shawn Weimer was allowed supervised visitation with his young daughter. The visits will be at the discretion of Child Protective Services staff, Weimer’s attorney, David Steingold, said.

Not long after the judge allowed Weimer and his attorney’s request, the girl and her father reunited in a jury room where she and her mother had been separated from the media gathered at the courthouse Tuesday for the court hearing, Steingold said.

Weimer and his 9-year-old child burst into tears.

“It’s the best day he’s had since the incident,” said Steingold on Tuesday. “They saw each other and had a long, long embrace. Everyone was crying. Me, too.”

Weimer ‘s arrest took place early Oct. 8 after letting his daughter drive his full-size work van to a convenience store.

In the surveillance video from the gas station, the girl is seen getting into the driver’s seat about 2:46 a.m. Weimer is seen and heard proudly telling a gas station clerk how his young daughter is his driver for the early-morning run to the store because “I got, I got a designated driver. I’m drunk.”

Weimer was charged last month with child abuse and being a habitual offender. Weimer is a plumbing company owner, who has not commented on the matter since his arrest.

Also at Tuesday’s hearing, Steingold requested that Weimer submit to daily alcohol monitoring through a SCRAM tether to make sure he is staying sober.

“He recognizes that he did something he would not have done if he had been sober,” Steingold said.

Steingold said Weimer’s relationship with his daughter is the most important thing in his life.

Weimer is remorseful about what happened, isn’t drinking and is committed to sobriety, Steingold said.

A preliminary examination is scheduled for Nov. 8.

Shawn Weimer, 39, and his daughter hugged and cried when they saw each other in a private room at 33rd District Court, said David Steingold, Weimer’s new attorney.

“She just jumped up and hugged her dad around the neck,” said Steingold, who was in the room for the reunion. Weimer asked his daughter about Halloween, he said.