Toledo man agrees to be extradited to Michigan
9/15/2009Zavier Fleetwood, who is accused of killing and robbing a Bedford Township man, waived his extradition rights during his fugitive hearing Monday in Lucas County Common Pleas Court and consented to be handed over to Monroe County authorities.
Judge Denise Ann Dartt ordered Mr. Fleetwood, 19, of 1349 East Broadway held in the Lucas County jail in lieu of $250,000 bond pending extradition to occur within three days.
In Monroe County, Mr. Fleetwood is facing charges of open murder and robbery in the death of James Robert Williams, 38.
Mr. Williams' father found the body inside a house at 7052 South Telegraph Rd. about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Mr. Williams' car, a 2007 silver Ford Fusion, was missing.
Mr. Fleetwood's demeanor at the hearing changed drastically after he talked to William Meyer, his court-appointed extradition attorney. The defendant had hardly looked up during his first hour in the courtroom and was barely audible when he asked that an attorney be appointed to represent him at the hearing. After talking to Mr. Meyer, he kept looking into the audience and smiling.
After Mr. Meyer consulted with the judge, she noted that “Monroe is just 30 minutes away” and explained that she was commenting on the defendant's concern that he would be out of touch with his Toledo family once he is in custody of Monroe County authorities.
After Mr. Meyer talked to the defendant some more, he signed a waiver and consented to being handed over.
“He needs a [Michigan] attorney to represent his interests in this case,” Mr. Meyer said after the hearing. “The sooner he gets an attorney, the better. I am just his extradition attorney.”
Said Jack Simms, the chief assistant prosecutor for Monroe County: “It's his decision and the fact that he waived his extradition [rights] brings us to the next step. He will be arraigned in the First District Court in Monroe Country when he gets here. Then he will be entitled to a lawyer and preliminary examination, which is like a probable-cause hearing.”
The arraignment date has not been set yet, Mr. Simms said.
A 2004 Blade story said that Mr. Fleetwood, while an eighth-grader at Alternate Learning and Career Center, carried a 3.5 grade-point average, attended Body of Christ Fellowship Church, and planned to attend college and play football.