Court Watching: Tin Pan break-in case set for jury trial on April 10 in Detroit

By Diane Madigan
Independent Court Reporter
At his March 20 conference, Charles Craig of Van Buren Township rejected a plea bargain agreement offered by Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Chastity Ann Graham.
Craig’s charges for the Dec. 29 burglary at the Tin Pan Saloon in Sumpter Township will proceed to a jury trial on April 10.
Craig, 21, was arrested on a 10-year felony charge of Breaking and Entering With Intent and an additional 4-year felony charge of Larceny from a Building.
Craig and his new attorney Jeffrey Knoche stood before Judge Edward Ewell, Jr. at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit.
The offer from the prosecution was to dismiss the Larceny from a Building charge and lower the Breaking and Entering With Intent, in exchange for a guilty plea to a reduced charge of Attempted Breaking and Entering.
After Craig turned down the deal, Judge Ewell asked Craig’s attorney if he had explained to Craig that he is more likely to get probation if he would accept the plea now rather than going to trial. Knoche indicated he had.
The prosecutor said the offer would only be on the table that day.
For the April 10 trial, the prosecution will call four witnesses and the defense will have two.