VBT defendant Jessie Williams jailed again for failing drug test

By Diane Madigan
Independent Court Reporter
Drugs continue to be a problem for Ypsilanti resident Jessie Aurelias Williams, 28. Williams had been free after posting a $25,000/10% bond set at his Oct. 19 arraignment and then continued by 34th District Court Judge Brian Oakley.
When Williams showed up at Detroit’s 3rd Circuit Court, Frank Murphy Hall of Justice on Nov 22, for a calendar conference he failed a drug test and was ordered held by Judge Craig S. Strong raising his bond to $250,000/10%.
Williams was arrested by Van Buren Township Police Officer Alexander Schulz on Oct. 18 outside the BP gas station at 11175 Haggerty Road. At the preliminary examination Officer Schulz said he found $1,400 in cash and a large bag of what he suspected to be crack cocaine in William’s side pocket and a small amount of marijuana.
Williams is charged with second offenses to two controlled substance laws: possession of cocaine less than 25 grams and possession of marijuana.
On Friday, Jan. 10 Williams appeared again before Judge Craig S. Strong for a hearing on the search that was conducted when he was arrested. Williams was brought to the courtroom from the Wayne County Jail wearing green jail scrubs.
Officer Schulz was not in the courtroom to answer questions from William’s court-appointed attorney Kumar Palepu. A motion to reschedule to Jan. 14 was ordered in hopes the officer will be available.
Judge Strong, Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Malena Taylor, and William’s attorney Palepu went into Judge’s Strong’s chambers and returned with a possible plea arrangement in the case.
Palepu offered a guilty plea to Count 1 Possession of Cocaine less than 25 grams with a dismissal of Count 2 for Possession of Marihuana and Habitual Offender with a sentence of one-year probation.
Judge Strong said the People would agree to the plea with the first six months of the probation in the County Jail.
Williams had been released from prison on April 14 after serving nine years for two drug charges, three armed robberies, and one unarmed robbery, all in Washtenaw County.
A jury trial on the current charges remained set for Feb. 5.