Court Watching: Judge Parrott approves plea for man drunk driving a Bobcat on road

Joshua Daniel Burnett, 28, was before 34th District Court Judge David Parrott on Nov. 16 for his probable cause conference on a charge of operating while intoxicated – 3rd.
His retained attorney James Murray arranged a plea deal, with Burnett pleading guilty to a new misdemeanor charge of operating while intoxicated-2nd with a penalty of being on probation for two years. The felony charge was dismissed.
Burnett told Judge Parrott that on Oct. 5 in Sumpter Township he was operating a Bobcat on a dirt road with a blood alcohol count of .17.
In 2009 he was convicted in the 34th District Court of driving while intoxicated.
As part of his sentence Burnett will have alcohol screening and assessment. He was ordered not to use drugs or alcohol for two years, and possibly will qualify for Judge Tina Brooks Green’s Sobriety Court. His posted bond of $5,000/10% was continued.
Sumpter Township Officer Balowski was the officer in charge of the case.
Ryan Edward Adkins
Ryan Edward Adkins, 35, waived his preliminary exam by video from the Wayne County Jail while being held on charges of retail fraud and assaulting a police officer on Nov. 1 in VBT.
Judge Parrott bound him over for an arraignment on the information on Nov. 23 at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice.
His court-appointed attorney Elizabeth Young asked that the $25,000/10% bond be reduced because he has worked for a building company for five years and has lived with his mother and father in Ypsilanti for eight years. She said he is not a danger to the community.
But Judge Parrott said he has eight prior offenses, including one larceny by conversion and one obstructing a police officer. Judge Parrott did not reduce the bond, but turned the case over to pretrial services which could reduce the bond.
VBT Detective Ken Toney is the officer in charge of the case.
Roderick Stephen Burbank
Roderick Stephanie Burbank, 62, was charged with police officer assault and domestic violence on Oct. 31 in VBT.
His court-appointed attorney asked for an adjournment of Burbank’s probable cause conference to Nov. 30 and his preliminary exam until Dec. 7 and Judge Parrott granted the request. Burbank is free after posting $10,000/10% bond.
VBT Detective Toney is the officer in charge of the case.
Krassimira Krumova Jeffrey
Krassimira Krumova Jeffrey, 32, was lodged in the Wayne County Jail on bond of $40,000/10% on charges of assaulting a police officer and driving while license suspended in the City of Belleville on Sept. 25. She was present by video before Judge Parrott for her probable cause conference.
Her court-appointed attorney Elizabeth Young said Jeffrey will hold her preliminary exam on Nov. 23, but she would like a reduction of bond.
Young said Jeffrey is 32 years old and has one misdemeanor on her record from St. Clair Shores. She works for Bayloff Stamped Products and has a 10-year-old child. She is in a custody battle for the child and working with an immigration attorney. She is from Bulgaria and has been here for the last six years, Young said.
Judge Parrott said police report her to be very hostile. He continued the bond but referred her to pretrial services for a bond review.
Officer in charge of the case is Belleville Officer Jeff Wickham.
Philip Richard Messer
Philip Richard Messer, 46, was before Judge Parrott for his preliminary exam on a charge of criminal sexual conduct – 2nd degree (relationship) on Feb. 12 in VBT. He was in the Wayne County Jail on $25,000 cash bond.
He waived his preliminary exam and was bound over to circuit court for a Nov. 23 arraignment on the information.
His court-appointed attorney David Lankford said this is a February 2016 case and his client has been in custody for 20 days. The testimony against him is from a 13 year old with no corroboration, he said. He pointed out four family members were in the courtroom to support him. He asked for reduced bond.
Judge Parrott said there were two failure to appears for Messer and there is an outstanding warrant in Ypsilanti. The warrant was issued in May, he said.
Judge Parrott said he arraigned Messer and set $5,000/10% and then found out Messer had already been arraigned by a weekend judge who set the higher bond.
“I think $10,000/10% would be fair,” Judge Parrott said, reducing the bond, which Messer’s family then would be able to post.
Lankford said while the address on his driver’s license is Romulus, Messer stays in Grass Lake with a friend.
“No minor children,” Judge Parrott ordered, adding once Messer posts his bond they will put a tether on him.
Officer in charge of the case is VBT Detective Donovan McCarthy.
Joshua Kavon Patton
Joshua Kavon Patton, 19, waived his preliminary exam on a charge of home invasion-2nd degree in VBT on Aug. 8. He was lodged in the Wayne County Jail on a bond of $10,000/10%.
Judge Parrott bound him over for a Nov. 23 arraignment on the information at circuit court. Patton was referred to pretrial services for consideration of bond reduction.
His court-appointed attorney David Lankford said his client has psychiatric problems and he stipulated that a competency hearing on Nov. 9 found Patton competent to stand trial.
VBT Detective Toney is the officer in charge of the case.
William Calvin Hunt
William Calvin Hunt, 51, was ready for his preliminary exam on a charge of first degree retail fraud in VBT on Jan. 3, but the court clerk’s computer had a hardware failure and the courtroom had to move from Judge Parrott’s court to the courtroom across the hall used by Judge Brian Oakley.
The preliminary exam of another man was half-way complete when the computer crashed and since the exam has to be on the record, it was moved to the other courtroom. Hunt’s case was next.
Hunt’s court-appointed attorney Steven Menken, VBT officer in charge Ken Toney, and the Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor all agreed to adjourn Hunt’s exam for a week because it was almost 1 p.m. and they expected the judge to break shortly for lunch and Menken had to get to a different courthouse for another client.