Court Watching: John Robertson bound over on charge of stealing car in Sumpter

John Curtis Robertson, 24, has been bound over to circuit court for an April 6 arraignment on the information for allegedly driving off in his co-worker’s car without permission and then smashing the car.
In a preliminary exam on March 30 before 34th District Court Judge David Parrott, Colin Jenkins testified about what happened on March 3 in Sumpter Township.
He said he and Robertson were co-workers at the Red Rooster restaurant at the corner of Willis and Rawsonville roads. He said management at the restaurant doesn’t let workers bring in large backpacks to store while they work, but they do have smaller spaces for personal items.
He said Robertson asked to put his backpack in Jenkins’ 2003 Saturn in the parking lot and Jenkins gave him the keys to the car, like he had many times before.
But this time, a few minutes after Roberston went outside, Jenkins noticed his car was gone from the parking lot. He called 911. Van Buren Township Police said the car had just crashed at Rawsonville and Martz Roads in a one-car accident and was in a ditch, Jenkins testified.
Jenkins said his car had a cracked windshield and the whole front bumper was busted. (Later, he told the Independent he drove the car to court that day to testify and “it doesn’t look good.”)
The second witness was VBT Officer Andrew Venier who said he came upon the accident while he was on patrol and found Jenkins’ 2003 Saturn in the ditch and Robertson standing outside the vehicle. He said Robertson was trying to get it out of the ditch.
“I just came upon it,” Officer Venier said, noting his department does patrols on Rawsonville Road because it is a two-lane road and can be dangerous.
He said the accident appeared fresh. It was snowing, no one else was by the vehicle, and there was only one set of footprints in the snow by the vehicle.
Judge Parrott said probable cause had been shown and so he bound Robertson over to the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice.
He was bound over on combined Sumpter-Van Buren Township charges of: unauthorized driving away of a motor vehicle, receiving and concealing the vehicle, assault on a police officer, and obstruction by disguise.
Although testimony was not allowed as to the “obstruction by disguise” count, police had said Robertson ran off, struggled with police, then gave a false name as identification.
Court-appointed attorney David Langford represented Robertson at the exam and noted that there was a hold on him at the jail, so he would not seek reduced bond. He is being held on $40,000/10% bond on this case at the Wayne County Jail.
VBT Det. Donovan McCarthy is the officer in charge of the case.
Jaquette Ravae Faulks
Charges against Jaquette Ravae Faulks, 24, were dismissed without prejudice because no complainant came to court to testify against her. Faulks was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, malicious destruction of property more than $200 but less than $1,000, and driving while license suspended on March 9 in VBT. She was out after posting bond of $3,000/10%. Faulks was advised she has outstanding payments due from a previous sentence.
Sean Lee Wells
Sharitta Marie Givens
Co-defendants Sean Lee Wells, 42, and Sharitta Marie Givens, 34, were scheduled for their preliminary exams on March 30, but the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department failed to bring Wells from the county jail where he is incarcerated.
They both are charged with home invasion first degree.
“This is a classic snafu today,” said Judge Parrott, adjourning the preliminary exam until 11 a.m. April 20. Prosecutor Doug Dwyer expected to have two to four witnesses. Judge Parrott asked them to bring the witnesses into the courtroom and he told them that they had to come to court on April 20, as well.
Givens posted her $5,000/10% bond and hired attorney Christopher Quinn. Wells remained lodged on $10,000/10% bond. He is being represented by Kirsten Irey-Iverson, who asked for a reduction in bond to $5,000/10% so he could get out of jail. She said she had planned to bring her client in to give himself in on a Monday and he was picked up, instead, over the week end and shouldn’t be punished for not being in court because he was in jail. Judge Parrott reinstated the original $5,000/10% surety bond. Wells was advised not to have contact with the witnesses and complainant.