Court Watching: Dale Phifer waives exam, bound over to Circuit Court in Detroit

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
Dale Kenneth Phifer, 76, of Van Buren Township waived his preliminary exam at the 34th District Court on April 30 and was bound over to Circuit Court for an arraignment on the information on May 14 at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice.
Chief Judge Tina Brooks Green continued the $2,000 personal recognizance bond for Dale Phifer.
Dale and his son Kirkwood Lane Phifer, 24, were arrested Nov. 13 at their home on Bog Road – Dale for possession of 83 marijuana plants and Kirkwood for possessing 65 tablets of LSD.
At an April 1 court session, attorney Charles Todd Inness, who was representing both Phifers, asked that his name be withdrawn as Dale’s attorney because Dale could not afford to pay for an attorney.
Dale’s court-appointed attorney David Lankford asked for Dale’s preliminary exam to be postponed from the April 2 date set until April 23 to give him time to review the evidence and to review Michigan’s medical marijuana law.
The exam was postponed again until April 30. That’s when Dale Phifer waived his preliminary exam and was bound over to circuit court.
At the April 2 court session, Kirkwood Phifer was bound over to circuit court for an arraignment on the information on April 16 before Judge James Chylinski.
On April 29, Kirkwood Phifer accepted a plea deal and pled guilty to the first charge of delivery/manufacture of non-narcotic schedule 1, 2, and 3 drugs. The other two charges were dismissed: delivery/manufacture of 5-45 kilograms of marijuana and delivery/manufacture of schedule 4 drug.
Kirkwood Phifer was referred to the probation department for a pre-sentence report. Sentencing was set for 9 a.m. May 29 before Judge Chylinski.
VBT Detective Donovan McCarthy was the officer in charge on the Phifer cases.
Other local cases before Judge Green on April 30 included the following.
Mark Wayne Clark, who was in custody on Van Buren Township Police charges of retail fraud, was bound over to circuit court for an arraignment on the information at 9 a.m. May 7 after waiving his preliminary exam. Clark’s bond was continued at $75,000 or 10% and he remained in custody. Detective Marc Buxton is the officer in charge of the case.
Alonzo Kendricks, who is charged with operating while intoxicated-3rd and driving while license suspended-2nd, waived his preliminary exam. Judge Green bound him over to circuit court for an arraignment on the information at 9 a.m., May 14, at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice. His bond is $5,000 or 10% and he is out on bond. Court-appointed attorney is David Lankford. VBT Sgt. Jeff Gueli is the officer in charge on this case.
Sharreaf Martinez Pugh is charged with domestic violence by VBT Police. His court appearance was adjourned until 9 a.m. June 11.
Antoine Lamar Lang was set for a pretrial exam on stalking charges, but he did not show up in Judge Green’s courtroom. VBT Detective Marc Buxton is the officer in charge on this case.
Jeffrey McFall will return to Judge Green’s courtroom on May 21. McFall is charged with domestic violence, didn’t have an attorney, and requested a jury trial.