Inkster Rep. Jewell Jones to head to trial after rejecting plea agreement
HOWELL, Mich. - Inkster Rep. Jewell Jones will head to trial after rejecting a plea deal from the Livingston County Prosecutor's Office last week.
Jones was In court Friday morning for a pre-trial hearing just days after a judge denied a motion to dismiss the case and suppress key evidence that was requested by his defense attorney.
Earlier last week, Jones' attorney told FOX 2 that the embattled lawmaker rejected a plea deal offered by the prosecutors, choosing instead to take their chances in court.
Last week, Defense Attorney Byron Nolen sought to suppress evidence about Jones' blood alcohol level and also wanted the gun charge thrown out as well. Nolen claimed the troopers had no reason to believe Jones was driving on April 6 when paramedics were called to an accident on I-96.
"They arrested my client for nothing and then charged him with resisting arrest," said Nolen. "There is no information my client was driving at the time he was arrested.
"They are saying they had a right to detain him, my client was arrested - he was not detained, he was handcuffed, maced, tazed, and taken to jail charged with crimes - serious crimes."
But prosecutors called the troopers and the paramedic to the stand.
They testified there were multiple 911 calls about a possibly impaired driver - and that paramedics called police for help once on scene, because Jones was interfering while they cared for his female passenger - who was unconscious and not wearing pants when paramedics arrived.
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Jones as since returned to work, but is under supervision. He has a 9 p.m. curfew and is in therapy for substance abuse while out on bond.
He says he doesn't regret passing on the plea deal.
"Not at all - a lot of times you get overcharged, and somebody offers you a deal and they try to make it appear as being great," he said. "I am not sure what the reasoning for that was for. I am still optimistic, moving forward, we have to let God do that, it is right in his sight."