Raina Camelia James, 35, of Luna Pier, was in 34th District Court on July 13 for her probable cause conference on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon, and felony firearm on July 3 in Van Buren Township.
She was not there on time and Prosecutor Bryn Bailey asked for a bench warrant. Defense attorney Kim Michon said her client was in the courthouse for the remote session and she was trying to sign on. The court has a place defendants can sign on for remote sessions.
Michon said she still needed discovery and so Judge Lisa Martin adjourned the session to July 20. Then the live preliminary exam was set for Aug. 24, but the defendant changed counsel on Aug. 19 and so the exam was reset for Oct. 5.
The defense attorney was changed to Maurice Davis.
On Oct. 5 the exam was held before Judge Martin, who afterward bound her over on two charges, assault with a dangerous weapon and felony firearm. She was scheduled for an arraignment on the information in circuit court on Oct. 19. A final conference was set for Dec. 7 in circuit court and a jury trial for Feb. 23 before Judge Mark Slavins.
At the preliminary exam in district court, Prosecutor Bryn Bailey withdrew the original charge of carrying a concealed weapon because the testimony did not show it was concealed.
The first witness was Van Buren Township Police Officer Mark King, who said he had been at VBT for eight and a half years after spending 28 years with the City of Fraser Police Department. He testified he was dispatched to the home on Freeport Court at 5:30 p.m. where a party was going on.
He testified that he questioned seven or eight people at the party which had about 20 people. He said the defendant had left the party and so he called her to come into the station to talk to him and she did. Officer King said she said she got into an argument with her uncle, she had a weapon in the pocket of her shorts, and she pulled it. It was taken away from her and secured, he said.
Her uncle Renell Anderson was the next witness. He explained the party was at his home and 23 people were over. He testified that James was not welcome at his home and after he spoke to her about what her son was doing, she threw a plate in the air, “flew off the handle and ran up the hill.”
He testified after that she came in the front door behind him with “a lot of talk” when he was in the kitchen and when he turned around, he saw the gun pointed at him. He testified she said, “I will kill you. I will do it.”
He said she did a lot of ranting and people came in from the deck and it took more than one person to disarm her. He said his wife told him she had to peel the defendant’s fingers from the gun.
James is free after paying bond of $5,000/10% and she must have no contact with the protected party.
Anthony Tavares Graham
Anthony Tavares Graham, 37, of Dearborn, was present in 34th District Court for his probable cause conference on Dec. 21 to face a charge of larceny in a building on Dec. 10 in the city of Belleville. His defense attorney Ken Riggins worked out a plea deal with the prosecutor to plea guilty to a new charge of larceny less than $200, a 93-day misdemeanor, with restitution and probation.
Riggins told Judge Tina Brooks Green that there was about $7 in the jar and Judge Green said there apparently were a couple of $5s in the jar. She said the court will send a restitution letter to the victim and release the defendant from his tether.
Graham pled guilty to taking property that was not his. Judge Green sent him to probation and said he will be sentenced by zoom in 30 to 45 days.