After a live preliminary exam before 34th District Court Chief Judge Brian Oakley on March 29, Daniel Preston Hopkins, 36, of Westland was bound over for trial at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice. His arraignment on the information is set for 9 a.m., April 14.
Hopkins is charged with stabbing Kenneth Parker in the chest on July 31, 2020 outside a home in Timberlands Mobile Home Park in Van Buren Township.
Hopkins’ charges are assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, and assault with a dangerous weapon. He is free after 10% of $10,000 bond was posted on his behalf. He also is wearing a GPS tether.
Kenneth Lamont Parker, 41, of Ypsilanti was originally scheduled to have his exam at the same time as Hopkins for the July 31 incident.
Parker is charged with criminal sexual conduct – first degree, assault with intent to rob while armed, four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon (felonious assault), aggravated assault, six counts of weapons-felony firearm-second offense notice, and one count of weapons-firearms-possession by felon. He was given a bond set at $1 million cash or surety.
But Judge Oakley was told by the prosecutor that the complaining witness on Parker’s charges is in Florida but is willing to fly up to testify. She said Detective Long uploaded the digital evidence for the Parker case the previous Friday.
The prosecutor asked Judge Oakley to adjourn the two exams “for good cause.”
“I’m not adjourning for good cause,” Judge Oakley fumed. “I’m not losing a whole day because your office can’t get your ducks in a row.”
It was noted this is a different prosecutor because the previous prosecutor is no longer with the department.
Defense attorney William Glenn said they can’t be doing Hopkins as an individual case and he made a motion to dismiss.
“I’m ready to go on Hopkins,” said the prosecutor.
Parker’s defense attorney Ben Gonek said he received a “ton of digital discovery” just the previous Friday.
“If this kind of shit happened because of the defense, I would hold them in contempt,” Judge Oakley said to the prosecutor. “Your office seems to think our dates just hang on trees … This is absolute bullshit. We’re holding Hopkins and we’ll adjourn your guy.”
Judge Oakley adjourned the preliminary exam for Parker to April 8 at 9 a.m. He said 20 years ago there was a study that showed it cost $5,000 a day to run a district court. And, that was 20 years ago, he said, noting it would cost a lot more now.
Van Buren Township Police Officer Scott Griggs was the first witness. He testified that he was on the night shift and was dispatched to a stabbing at the mobile home park. He said he first spoke to the female complaining witness at the entry to the park and then went to the trailer. He spoke with Hopkins next and then took him into custody.
Officer Griggs said he saw a blood trail from the porch, down the stairs and sidewalk to a parking place, with most of the blood on the porch.
Griggs testified that Hopkins told him he was in town for a funeral and was given permission to sleep on the couch at the home. He said Parker had given the woman who lives there a ride home from a gas station and wanted gas money from either her or Hopkins. Parker hit Hopkins on the head with a gun and took his cellphone, Griggs said. Then he told Hopkins to leave the house, which he did.
Griggs said Hopkins told him Parker had sex with woman who lived there and Hopkins, who was bleeding from the head, went outside and got a knife from his vehicle. When Parker came outside again, Hopkins stabbed him in the chest. Hopkins gave police permission to search his Honda Civic and they found a 5” knife covered with blood.
Parker drove off in his car and Canton police were dispatched to the Mobile gas station at 40401 Michigan Ave. for a bleeding man collapsed in the parking lot. Canton police responded, put a chest seal on the wound, and Parker was taken to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor via ambulance.
Canton Officer Brian Halapi testified he followed a blood trail to the gas station front door where there was a trash can. He found a bloody gun in the trash. Gas station surveillance tape reportedly showed Parker trying to hide the gun.
Defense attorney Glenn arguing that his client should not be bound over, said Parker demanded money from Hopkins and the woman and then hit Hopkins on the head. His client gets a knife, there is a tussle, and he stabs Parker. He has a right to defend himself, Glenn said. Parker had taken Hopkins’ cell phone, Glenn said.
“All he did was keep himself from being killed,” Glenn said, noting Hopkins already knew Parker had a gun.
Judge Oakley said this is a self-defense question for a trier of fact so he bound Hopkins over to circuit court for trial.
Tiara Renea Malone
After a live, preliminary exam on March 31, Tiara Renea Malone of Eastpointe was bound over to circuit court for an April 14 arraignment on the information on a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon (felonious assault) in Van Buren Township on Aug. 24, 2019.
The prosecution’s only witness was the defendant’s cousin Dominique Mosley, who testified she had recently been introduced to her cousin and she invited Malone and her baby daughter to an afternoon barbecue at her home on Parkwood Drive. Also present were Mosley’s sister and her children and Mosley’s son.
Malone put a gun on top of the refrigerator when she came into the kitchen, Mosley said. Around 5 p.m., Malone went to Walmart to get some money her brother had sent her by Western Union, Mosley testified.
The three women were drinking, Mosley testified. She said later she was washing dishes and Malone put her hands around Mosley’s waist and Mosley felt sexual activities. She said she didn’t feel safe and so she asked her sister to stay with her. The sister stayed a while and then left.
There had been arrangements for Malone and her baby to stay the night and Mosley said she gave her bedroom to Malone and slept in her son’s room. She said Malone brought the gun into the room where she was sleeping and put the gun in her lap and it fell on the floor. Mosley said Malone pointed the gun at her chest and said there was a bullet in the chamber for her and ten in the clip.
Mosley said she picked up the gun and put it in a bedroom. Then she called her mother to get Malone to leave. Mosley testified her mother came at 3 a.m. and Malone left on her own after that. Mosley said she doesn’t know what happened to the gun.
When defense attorney Glen Oh asked Mosley why it took a week for her to call police, Mosley said, “I don’t remember. Why does it matter a week or not? I was threatened.”
Judge Green told the witness, “You’re not allowed to ask questions.”
Judge Green said when a gun is drawn there is an issue of fact, so she bound the case over to circuit court.
Jenny Denise Diehl
Jenny Denise Diehl of Adrian was arraigned March 31 by Judge Green on a charge of domestic violence that allegedly occurred Oct. 17 in Van Buren Township.
The pre-trial was set for May 19 before Judge Lisa Martin. Personal bond of $10,000 was set. Defendant Diehl is the mother of the alleged victim and Diehl must have no assaultive contact with her 17-year-old daughter at the daughter’s home in Blissfield where she lives with her boyfriend.
In Judge Green’s courtroom via zoom, were the defendant, the victim with her stepmother, and the victim’s father, who was present in a police officer’s uniform from the front seat of his patrol car.
Defense attorney is Maurice Davis.
Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Ben Deneweth said there is a custody dispute and a case in family court. He said the victim is the age of majority and should be able to make decisions on whether or not to see her mother.
Judge Green said this situation will work itself out with time, but the daughter, who does not want to see or hear from her mother now, should be able to reach out to her if she changes her mind.
Judge Green urged the daughter to reach out to her victim’s advocate if “something goes south” before the pre-trial.
Marcus Dewayne Hopkins
Marcus Dewayne Hopkins, 33, of Ypsilanti had his probable cause conference adjourned until April 21 by Judge Green.
He is charged with delivery/manufacture of a controlled substance – methamphetamine, deliver/manufacture of less than 50 grams of a narcotic or cocaine, fleeing a police officer in a vehicle, and assaulting / resisting / obstructing a police officer on April 2, 2020 in Sumpter Township.
Hopkins also will face charges on April 21 that were brought through the Michigan State Police from Sept. 16, 2017. They are identity theft, forgery of license documents/plates, driving while license suspended, and operating without security.
Hopkins’ defense attorney is Natalie Phelps. Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor was Ben Deneweth, filling in for Jane Gillis.