On Feb. 10, the attorneys for the three defendants charged in the Egypt Covington murder case and their clients met via Zoom with the prosecutor and 34th District Court Judge Tina Brooks Green.
This meeting was to iron out any details before the preliminary exam set for March 22, 23, and possibly 25, if needed. The live exam is slated to begin at 8:30 a.m. and will be open to the public via YouTube.
The Feb. 10 session turned into one defendant at a time being brought before the judge and each attorney since an order was in place to keep the defendants separated.
All three defendants are being held without bond in the Wayne County Jail on charges of killing Egypt Covington on June 22, 2017.
Prosecutor Victoria Shackelford said she will send out a list of proposed witnesses to the judge and the defense attorneys. She said the witness list has grown to 16 from the previous 10 she had stated.
“It keeps getting better,” Prosecutor Shackelford said of her case.
Shandon R Groom, 28, of Toledo was the first defendant brought to the courtroom from the jail via Zoom. Groom’s defense attorney is David Goldstein.
Judge Green said there had been an issue with some video not playable so the three defense attorneys can view it. Shackelford said her office has been working with the defense attorneys to make that right.
Judge Green said the live preliminary exam is in six weeks and if anyone has an issue the person can reach out to Heather (Judge Green’s scheduler) and, “I’ll be available by Zoom within 24 to 48 hours” to settle the problem.
Shackelford said she will send out the list of witnesses by the end of the week and will work out a stipulation list. She said she did not know in which order the prosecution witnesses would be called.
Shane Lamar Evans
Murder defendant Shane Lamar Evans, 31, of Sumpter Township was brought next to the Zoom meeting by a Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputy at the jail.
His defense attorney Coral Watt said there was an outstanding issue dealing with the discovery-sealing issue.
“I will wait until I’m through going through all the discovery before addressing them,” Watt said. She asked to go into a Zoom breakout room with her client briefly and when she returned, she said her client reminded her of something.
She said her client’s wallet was seized for evidence and he wants to know if they need his debit card. She said Evans said, “She’s pregnant and doesn’t have access to funds.” Evans identified the female by name for the judge.
Shackelford said she would call the officer in charge and check. She said she would sign an order releasing the property if it wasn’t needed.
Timothy Eugene Moore
Timothy Eugene Moore, 35, is the third defendant in the murder case. He was brought in last from the Wayne County Jail for the Zoom hearing before Judge Green. Judge Green and Prosecutor Shackelford went over the details discussed before the other two defendants.
Defense attorney Kristina Joseph said the outstanding discovery was promised for the following week and then she will be ready for the exam. She asked to go into a breakout room with her client briefly to explain what is going on and then Moore was returned to his cell.
Officer in charge of the case is Michigan State Police Detective/Sergeant James Plummer.
Kojuan Jamel Quiles
Kojuan Jamel Quiles, 46, of Van Buren Township had his probable cause conference adjourned to Feb. 10 by Chief Judge Brian Oakley and on Feb. 10 Judge Green adjourned it again, to Feb. 24.
Quiles is charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, assault with a dangerous weapon (felonious assault) and domestic violence on Dec. 26 in Van Buren Township.
Defense attorney Kristine Longstreet of the Neighborhood Defender Service said she has been talking with Prosecutor Darrian Fortier about the case and Fortier had to consult with her supervisor first.
Quiles is free after posting bond of $10,000/10%, which orders him not to return to his home where the alleged assault occurred.
Michael Jermine Stone
On Feb. 3, Michael Jermine Stone, 40, of Van Buren Township was scheduled by Judge Oakley for a probable cause conference at 9 a.m. Feb. 24 before Judge Lisa Martin.
His attorney is Joan Morgan. Assistant Prosecutor Darrian Fortier said the case just got reassigned and they needed to adjourn the probable cause conference to get the digital discovery.
Stone is facing charges of domestic violence – 3rd offense notice and assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer on Jan. 18 in Van Buren Township.
Adam Kenneth Sierota
Adam Kenneth Sierota, 35, is charged with assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer and domestic violence on Dec. 16 in Van Buren Township.
His attorney Richard Glanda said they were waiving his client’s preliminary exam and Judge Oakley bound him over to circuit court for a Feb. 17 arraignment on the information.
He is free on $5,000 personal bond and is to have no contact with the victim or with his home address on West Huron River Drive.
Judge Oakley reminded Sierota that he had a court date before Judge Green for another domestic violence charge from Nov. 19 at the same address.
Kaprice Daney Parker
Kaprice Daney Parker, 28, of Westland will have her in-person preliminary exam at 1 p.m., March 17, before Judge Oakley on a charge of breaking and entering of a vehicle with damage to vehicle on Aug. 10, 2019 in Van Buren Township.
Her defense attorney Claude Chapman said the fingerprints on the auto alleged to belong to his client were not given to him as a photo. He asked Judge Oakley to compel the prosecutor to produce the evidence. Assistant Prosecutor Jane Gillis said there is no picture. She said Officer William Bettendorf said he lifted the prints and sent that to the Michigan State Police Crime Lab. There are no pictures, she repeated, but they can make arrangements for Chapman to go to VBT police department to look at the lifts.
Chapman insisted he wanted pictures of that evidence and Gillis said the judge could compel them to take pictures or Chapman could send his expert in to take pictures. She said she is allowed to enter the MSP lab report and have Officer Bettendorf testify.
“That’s all you need for a probable cause conference,” Judge Oakley said. “The rest is for a trier of fact” which would be circuit court.
Parker is free on $2,500 personal bond.
Donte Marki Stenson
Donte Marki Stenson, 29, of Van Buren Township was present before Judge Green on Feb. 10 for a charge of violation of bond. Assistant Prosecutor Darrian Fortier said the victim in the case reports Stenson has been calling her and at one point someone said he would track down the victim and “whoop her ass.” Prosecutor Fortier said on Jan. 6 one of the officers made contact with the victim who provided a call log that showed many calls.
Fortier said because of COVID, she doesn’t want to punish him by putting him in jail for telephone calls, but he could get a stern reprimand and a notice that if something happens like this again there will be an increase in the bond.
Judge Green told Stenson, “No contact means no contact!” She said the best way to resolve this is to give him a date for the preliminary exam as soon as possible. She set it a week from that day, Feb. 17, at 12:30 p.m., live.
“The best way to resolve this is to move it!” Judge Green said. Stenson’s case had been put among many others waiting to be scheduled for a live exam.
Stenson is charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and domestic violence on Oct. 21 in Van Buren Township. His $5,000 personal bond is contingent on no contact with the victim or the place of the alleged assault. Defense attorney is Henry Schneider of Neighborhood Defense Service.
Gene Laroy Carrier, Jr.
Gene Laroy Carrier, Jr., 59, of Belleville was arraigned by Judge Green on Feb. 10 on a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon (felonious assault) in Belleville on Oct. 27.
His probable cause conference was adjourned until 8:50 a.m., March 3, and he was given personal bond.
Defense attorney Scott Weinberg said he needs discovery and Judge Green agreed to sign a discovery order for the Belleville Police.