Court Watching: Cahill bound over to face murder charges at circuit court

Charles James Cahill, Jr., 49, of Sumpter Township, who has a long list of drunk driving convictions, waived his preliminary exam on Aug. 31 before 34th District Court Judge Brian A. Oakley and was bound over to circuit court.
He is scheduled to be at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit at 9 a.m. Sept. 7 to face charges in the death of a 12-year-old girl in a traffic accident.
Cahill is lodged in the Wayne County Jail without bond on charges of murder in the second degree, operating while intoxicated causing death, operating while intoxicated-3rd, driving while license suspended causing death, and driving with open intoxicants in the vehicle.
He also is labeled a habitual offender and if found guilty of the charges he faces life in prison.
Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Reynolds, who had requested the preliminary exam date be postponed until Aug. 31, reported he finally has all the evidence requested, including the accident report from the Michigan State Police and the autopsy report from Washtenaw County. He said he was ready to go to circuit court.
Cahill’s court-appointed attorney David Lankford assured Judge Oakley that he had explained everything to his client and Cahill agreed with his recommendation to waive the preliminary exam and go directly to circuit court for trial.
The Detroit News reported that the parents of the 12-year-old killed in the crash, Victoria Mack, have announced they will be suing Cahill and the unnamed person who loaned him the GMC Yukon that he was driving. The parents, Darlena Savage and Garry Mack, who were in the 34th District Court on Aug. 31, are represented by Renette Jackson and Danien Woods.
The charges stemmed from the 8:18 p.m., July 27, accident at the corner of Willis and Martinsville roads. Cahill reportedly was northbound on Martinsville at more than 80 mph when he collided with a minivan with Victoria in the back seat.
She was cut out of the vehicle by Sumpter fire fighters and airlifted to Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, where she died July 30. There had been no report of any injuries to the two women and two other female children, ages 2 and 3, who were also in the minivan, but, The Detroit News reported there were two other injuries.
Stuffed into Judge Oakley’s jury box on Aug. 31 were camera crews from Channels 7, 4, and 2, along with photographer from the News. Two other reporters plugged their equipment into an electrical outlet in the courtroom.
A large group of family members were also in the courtroom. After Judge Oakley accepted the waiver to bind Cahill over and Cahill was returned to the court lockup, the family left the courtroom with most of the reporters in the room hurrying after them.
Cahill’s driving record shows 12 prior drunk driving convictions even though his driver’s license had been revoked by the Secretary of State in 1990.
Victoria was a student at the Ann Arbor Magnet School in Detroit and would have been a seventh grader this fall.
A GoFundMe page was set up in hopes of raising $5,000 for funeral expenses and it was closed down after $13,615 was donated. Services for Victoria Denise Mack were held Aug. 6 at Word of Truth Baptist Church, Detroit. Funeral arrangements were by Clora Funeral Home, River Rouge, with interment in Grand Lawn Cemetery.
Nelson S Po
Nelson S Po, 67, of Sumpter Township had his probable cause conference adjourned to Sept. 28 before 34th District Court Judge Tina Brooks Green.
His attorney Ronald Ruark asked for the adjournment on his client’s charge of delivering/manufacturing 5-45 kilograms of marijuana (or 20 to 200 plants) on Aug. 16 in Sumpter Township. Po was given a personal recognizance bond of $10,000 at his arraignment.
Po indicated a plea bargain was being discussed. If he is found guilty of the charge, Po faces seven years in prison or a $500,000 fine. Sumpter Township Detective John Toth is the officer in charge of the case.
James Glenn Hubert
James Glenn Hubert, 60, was present for his probable cause conference on Aug. 31 before Judge Oakley. Hubert’s attorney, Michael Vincent, said they would return for Hubert’s preliminary exam on Sept. 7.
Hubert is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (felonious assault) on April 8 in Sumpter Township. Sumpter Officer Danielle Buccellato is the officer in charge of the case.
James Forrest Chapman
James Forrest Chapman, 56, was present for the pretrial exam on a reversal of a charge that Judge Oakley had dismissed. After the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office had appealed the dismissal, a circuit court judge had reinstated the charge against Chapman for refusing to give a DNA sample after being arrested by Van Buren Township Police.
Chapman’s attorney John Day asked for the exam to be adjourned until Sept. 21 because he would like to try to consolidate this case with a similar case against Chapman already at circuit court for refusing to provide a DNA sample.
Judge Oakley said the case was reinstated because the circuit court judge said there had been an “abuse of discretion” by Judge Oakley, but that judge provided no comment on what was wrong.
“I don’t know what to do with this case,” Judge Oakley said, indicating if given the chance, he is likely to make the same decision again.
“Hopefully, I won’t see you again,” Day said, referring to having the case consolidated with Chapman’s cases already before Judge Margaret Van Houten that have a final conference on Sept. 30 and a jury trial set for Oct. 26.
Melissa Dawn Goble
Melissa Dawn Goble, 52, was scheduled for her probable cause conference. She will be present for her preliminary exam on Sept. 7. Goble, who is lodged in the Wayne County Jail on bond of $20,000/10%, is charged with being in possession of less than 25 grams of narcotics or cocaine in the city of Belleville on Aug. 21. Officer in charge of the case is Jeff Wickham.
Joshua Kavon Patton
Joshua Kavon Patton, 28, was present for his preliminary exam, being brought from the Wayne County Jail where is lodged on $10,000/10% bond. His court- appointed attorney David Lankford said he had recommended Patton waive this preliminary exam and be bound over to circuit court on the home invasion 2nd charge in VBT on Aug. 8. Patton appeared not to understand Lankford or agree with him and Lankford requested a competency hearing. This was granted by Judge Oakley and Patton will be back sometime in the future after being interviewed by doctors.
Lankford said they have been unable to contact the victim, but Ada Williams, the grandmother, was in the courtroom. She went off to talk with the officer in charge of the case, VBT Det. Ken Toney.
Robert Dale Cannon
Robert Dale Cannon, 45, was present for his probable cause conference on two counts of carrying a concealed weapon in Van Buren Township on Feb. 15. His retained attorney David Bogard said one count had been dismissed by the prosecutor and Cannon was waiving his upcoming preliminary exam on the other. Judge Oakley bound him over to circuit court for an arraignment on the information Sept. 14. Cannon is free on $5,000 personal recognizance bond. VBT Det. Toney is the officer in charge of the case.
Michael Earl Dunn
Charges against Michael Earl Dunn, 46, were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they could be reinstated in the future. Dunn was present for his preliminary exam on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, weapons-felony firearm, and domestic violence in VBT on Aug. 12. He had been free after posting bond of $10,000/10%. Officer in charge of the case was VBT Det. Ken Toney.
William Calvin Hunt
William Calvin Hunt, 51, was scheduled for his probable cause conference on Aug. 31 on a charge of first degree retail fraud on Jan. 3 in VBT. He is scheduled for preliminary exam before Judge David Parrott on Sept. 7.
Melinda Heather Meriweather
Melinda Heather Meriweather, 35, was present for her probable cause conference on a charge of delivering/manufacturing a non-narcotic controlled substance on June 12, 2014 in VBT. She was free on $5,000 personal recognizance bond.
Meriweather chose to waive her upcoming preliminary exam and was bound over for an arraignment on the information at circuit court on Sept. 14. Officer in charge of the case was VBT Det. Mark Buxton.
Isaiah Henry Francis
Isaiah Henry Francis, 29, was present for his probable cause conference on two counts of dangerous weapons – miscellaneous, and one count of driving while license suspended on Aug. 20 in VBT. He waived his upcoming preliminary exam and was bound over to circuit court for an arraignment on the information on Sept. 14. Officer in charge of the case is VBT Det. Buxton.
Holly Anne Myrold
Holly Anne Myrold, 40, was present for her probable cause conference on a charge of uttering and publishing in VBT on April 17, 2015. She was free on $10,000 personal bond.
Her court-appointed attorney got her a plea deal and she pled guilty to a misdemeanor offense of false pretenses and the original charge was dropped.
Myrold suffers from multiple sclerosis which affects her memory. She now lives in Jackson. Her court-appointed attorney told Judge Oakley that she has a problem with resources and so he asked to keep her fine at the lower end. Judge Oakley sentenced her to $145 in fines and 24 months probation. Myrold’s mother said she would pay the fine. Officer in charge of the case is VBT Det. Donovan McCarthy.