Oakland County mother back in court for contacting caregiver

A mother from Oakland County, Michigan, is back in court today. She is accused of abandoning her three children to live in a dirty home for several years. Kelli Bryant is also facing charges of child abuse and welfare fraud. Bryant allegedly violated a judge's order by calling her children's caregiver multiple times from jail. Prosecutor Karen McDonald reported that Bryant made these calls between March 8 and March 12, 2025. She is accused of having other inmates contact the caregiver on her behalf as well. Bryant is currently in the Oakland County Jail with a bond set at $50,000. McDonald filed a motion to revoke Bryant's communication privileges. She argued that it is crucial to protect the children from further harm. If the motion is approved, Bryant will not be allowed to use phones or other devices to communicate while in jail. Bryant's attorneys responded, claiming she didn’t know she couldn’t contact her father, who is the caregiver. They argued that she did not directly reach out to her children. However, during her arraignment, the judge clearly stated that she could not contact them. The attorneys also denied that Bryant had used other inmates to contact her father and said she did not receive the bond conditions in writing.