HOWELL, Mich. – Michigan State Rep. Jewell Jones (D-Inkster) has been ordered by a judge to undergo a mental health evaluation as he faces several charges stemming from an April arrest for alleged drunk driving.
Jones was removed from all Michigan House committee assignments this week after the Livingston County Sheriff said he had a handcuff key taped to his foot when he was admitted to the Livingston County Jail. He had been sentenced to jail Tuesday after he was accused of violating his bond a third time. He now faces two felonies accusing him of trying to escape custody.
Jones already was facing drunk driving criminal charges in a widely publicized arrest on I-96 that occurred in April. Then authorities said Jones drank alcohol and tampered with his tether while out on bond. That bond was revoked.
One of his attorneys, Ali Hammoud, withdrew from the case in court Friday morning citing a “breakdown in the attorney-client relationship.”
“Mr. Jones is well aware and I think he accepts that,” said Hammoud.
Attorney Byron Nolan is staying on the case and asked for a mental evaluation for Jones. That was granted by Judge Michael Hatty.
“That will give us a better idea of what’s going on as we move forward,” said Hatty inside Howell’s 44th Circuit Court.
Jones, 26, was elected to represent Michigan’s 11th state house district in 2016, then again in 2018 and 2020. His district represents Inkster and parts of Garden City, Westland, Livonia and Dearborn Heights.
When Jones was 20 years old, he became the youngest person to be elected to Inkster City Council. In 2016, he became the youngest state Representative in Michigan history when he was appointed to his seat. In the 2020 General Election, he won with nearly 66% of the vote.