Tuesday, March 14, 2000

03142000 - Detroit Firefighter Ardra Young - Appeal - Murder Conviction Affirmed















On February 7, 1997, Detroit Firefighter Ardra Young, who also owned a truck business, went to Bolingbrook Illinois to purchase vehicles for his business.

On the evening of February 8th, Young claimed to be ill during a business dinner. He returned to his hotel room and claimed he passed out and did not wake up until approximately 3a.m.. It was when he called home at 3 a.m. and spoke with his brother, that he learned that his ex-wife Terri and teenage son Emmanuel had been shot. He was informed that his ex-wife had died and although his son had survived, he was on life support.

Young immediately left Illinois and drove home to Detroit. At the hospital, Young ordered that his son be removed from life support. Young was allowed to sign the form to have life support disconnected for Emmanuel, who died shortly after life support was removed.

On February 9th, Firefighter Young confessed to killing his wife and teenage son. According to Young, after excusing himself from the business dinner on Saturday evening, he did not return to his room. Instead he drove to Detroit and arrived at approximately 9:30pm. From a phone booth, Young called his wife to meet him in Detroit. When his wife and son arrived, he shot and killed them both. He flattened one of the tires on his wife's car and threw the contents of her purse around to make it appear as though his wife and son were robbed and killed after their car broke down. Young then drove back to Bolingbrook Illinois.

During his confession, Young claimed to police that he had killed his family, "To be free..."

Young was convicted by a jury of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of felony- firearm in the shooting deaths of his wife Terri and son Emmanuel.

In November 1998, Young was sentenced to concurrent terms of life imprisonment and to consecutive two-year terms for felony firearm.













1 CHARGED IN DEATHS OF WIFE, SON
South Bend Tribune (IN)
February 12, 1997 
Detroit - A former Detroit firefighter was charged with killing his wife and teen-age son.

Ardra Young, 34, was arraigned Monday on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Terri Young, 34, and Emmanuel Young, 14.

Young arranged a meeting Saturday evening with his wife of 14 years at a park near their home in Wayne County's Redford Township, police said. Terri Young insisted that Emmanuel accompany them to the park - where Ardra Young allegedly shot them both.

Young returned to his home, washed his bloodstained clothes and drove to the home of a female acquaintance in Illinois, investigators said. He returned to Detroit early Sunday, ordering doctors at Grace Hospital to turn off his son's life-support system, police said.

Young then went to Detroit police headquarters, where investigators said he described his role in the shootings.

Young, a firefighter for seven years, resigned Monday. He is jailed without bond.













Hate letters stir Detroit Fire Dept.
Newswire - UPI (USA)
January 30, 1998 
The Detroit Fire Department is on edge while the FBI investigates hate letters that claim white firefighters are ready to kill black colleagues and their families. Fire Commissioner James Bush says he's taking the threats from an unknown group called the White Fire Fighters Association 'very, very seriously.'

However, Bush is declining comment about one letter that allegedly ties the mysterious group to the shooting deaths of a black firefighter's wife and son last year. The firefighter, Ardra Young, was later dismissed and convicted on two murder counts, for which he's now serving life in prison. The letter's claim that the killings were racially motivated to punish Young has prompted his lawyer to plan an appeal. In an interview with UPI today, Bush implied that one distraught firefighter may be responsible for the letters threatening harm to any black firefighters who harass whites. At least four letters were sent in recent weeks to fire officials and the mayor's office. Bush says, 'We're a family here and when there's a member who needs guidance we all try to help.' About two-thirds of the city's 1,400 firefighters are black. Bush says the department's blacks and whites 'have a good relationship. We work very well together.' The FBI is working with Detroit police on the investigation. There've been no arrests. ---








































January 05, 1998:
Ardra Young filed an appeal on his conviction for his wife's and son's murders. On March 14, 2000, Young's conviction was confirmed.













March 14, 2000:
Michigan Court Of Appeals Affirmed Ardra Young's conviction




















March 15, 2001
Ardra Young filed a Petition For Writ Of Habeas Corpus with the Michigan US District Court















November 14, 2004:
Michigan US District Court denied Ardra Young's Petition For Writ Of Habeas Corpus

Sunday, March 5, 2000

03052000 - Senator David Jaye - Arrested For Third Driving Offense - Macomb County






SENATOR DAVID JAYE POSTS:






















On March 05, 2000, Senator Jaye was arrested for his third drunk driving offense. When Jaye was arrested in November 2000 and April 2001 for assaulting his fiancée, he was still on probation for the 2000 drunk driving offense.      











Jaye is held in drunken driving
Tougher laws may now turn on him
Detroit Free Press
March 6, 2000
With one drunken-driving conviction and another arrest for the offense Sunday, Republican state Sen. David Jaye may now be subjected to the very laws he supported to toughen punishments for repeat offenders. The controversial, conservative lawmaker from Washington Township, who has also been convicted of driving while impaired, will likely learn today what charges he now faces. Jaye, 42, was arrested about 1:30 a.m. Sunday on M-59 near Heydenreich in Macomb Township. He was taken to...
















State senator arrested for drunken driving
The Blade
Toledo, Ohio
March 6, 2000


Macomb Township, Mich. [AP] - State Sen. David Jaye was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and failed a Breathalyzer test early Sunday, a sheriff's inspector said.

Mr. Jaye, who previously has faced drunken driving charges, was stopped by sheriff's deputies around 1:30 a.m. on M-59 and released on $100 bond about 6 a.m. Sunday, Macomb County sheriff's Inspector Mark Hackel said.

His blood-alcohol content was not disclosed.

Mr. Jaye's attorney, Rob Huth, said he hadn't had a chance to review the sheriff's department report.

"It is my understanding that his blood-alcohol was right at or around the legal limit and there may be mitigating circumstances. If not, I expect him to square up and take responsibility for his actions," Huth said.

"I have been a strong supporter of and always voted for tough drunk driving laws that we are all subject to," Jaye said in statement released by his office.

"I am seeking counsel from my family and friends and ask for their prayer during this trying time."

Mr. Jaye, a Washington Township Republican, served three weekends in jail in 1993 for drunken driving.

He was ticketed in 1984 in Sterling Heights for operating a vehicle while impaired by liquor.
 
















Jaye held on alcohol charge 
If guilty for second time in 7 years, he faces jail, loss of car
Detroit News, The (MI)
March 6, 2000 
MACOMB TOWNSHIP -- Outspoken State Sen. David Jaye has been arrested again for drunken driving and, if convicted, could face up to a year in jail, revocation of his driver's license and a possible forfeiture of his vehicle.

Jaye, R-Washington Township, was pulled over at 1:30 a.m. Sunday by Macomb County Sheriff's deputies on Hall Road near Heydenreich. After he failed a breath test, he was held in the county jail for nearly five hours until he was sober, police said. Jaye posted $100 bond and was freed.

"I have been a strong supporter of, and always voted for, tough drunk driving laws that we are all subject to," Jaye said in a statement released from his office. "I am seeking counsel from my family and friends and ask for their prayers during this trying time."

Insp. Mark Hackel of the Macomb County Sheriff's Department declined to release Jaye's blood alcohol level and the reasons why deputies pulled him over until the Macomb County Prosecutors Office approves a warrant today or Tuesday. A driver with a 0.1 percent blood-alcohol level is considered legally drunk in Michigan.

"He tested and the results indicated he was over the legal limit," Hackel said, adding that Jaye cooperated with police.

If convicted, this would be the senator's second drunken driving offense in seven years.

He was convicted for operating a vehicle under the influence of liquor in April 1993 for an incident in February near Webberville, about 20 miles east of Lansing, where he had been driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.17 percent.

State law penalizes drivers with two drunken driving convictions within seven years with 48 hours to one year in jail, fines between $200 and $1,000, 10 to 90 days of community service, loss of a driver's license, and other penalties.

Jaye, a lawmaker first elected to the state House of Representatives in 1988, also was convicted in 1985 in Sterling Heights for operating a vehicle while impaired, according to records from the Secretary of State Office. Drivers operating a vehicle while impaired have a blood-alcohol level greater than 0.07 percent but less than 0.1 percent.
















Sen. Jaye arrested on suspicion of drunken driving
The Argus-Press
Owosso, Michigan
March 6, 2000
Macomb Township, Mich. [AP] - State Sen. David Jaye was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and failed a Breathalyzer test early Sunday, a sheriff's inspector said.

Jaye, who has faced drunken driving charges previously, was stopped by sheriff's deputies around 1:30 a.m. on state Highway 59 and released on $100 bond about 6 a.m. Sunday, Macomb County sheriff's Inspector Mark Hackel said. Jaye cooperated with the deputies, Hackel said.

Because Jaye has not been arraigned and the information has not yet been forwarded to prosecutors, Hackel said he could not disclose Jaye's blood-alcohol content though he said he failed the breath test. A blood-alcohol content of 0.10 percent or higher is considered drunk driving under Michigan law.

Jaye's attorney, Rob Huth, said Sunday afternoon he hadn't had a chance to review the sheriff's department report.

"It is my understanding that his blood-alcohol was right at or around the legal limit adn there may be mitigating circumstances. If not, I expect him to square up and take responsibility for his actions," Huth said.

A message seeking comment was left on Jaye's answering machine Sunday afternoon.

"I have been a strong supporter of and always voted for tough drunk driving laws that we are all subject to," Jaye said in statement released by his office.

"I am seeking counsel from my family and friends and ask for their prayer during this trying time."

Jaye, a Washington Township Republican, served three weekends in jail in 1993 for drunken driving.

He was arrested Feb. 2, 1993, after rolling through a stop sign in rural Webberville, about 20 miles east of Lansing. he was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of liquor and having an unlawful bodily alcohol content above 0.10 percent.

Jaye's license was suspended for six weeks and restricted for six months.

He also was ticketed in 1984 in Sterling Heights for operating a vehicle while impaired by liquor.

Three years ago, Jaye said he had put the 1993 case behind him.

"I said I wouldn't be drinking and driving any more," he said then. "I'm married now. Getting married changes a person's lifestyle and priorities."

Jaye is a conservative Republican who was first elected to the state house in 1993. He has discussed running against U.S. Rep. David Bonior, although he announced in November that he was putting off a decision on whether to run to concentrate on a petition drive calling for public funding of private schools.

If convicted following Sunday's arrest, Jaye could face 40 hours to one year in jail, fines ranging from $200 to $1000, 30 to 90 days of community service, and loss of a driver's license, the Detroit News said.

"He's not looking for any special treatment and he's still a supporter of tough laws," Huth told the Detroit Free Press.
 
 
















Jaye arrested in Macomb for alleged drunken driving
The Michigan Daily
March 6, 2000
Macomb Township [AP] - State Sen. David Jaye was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and failed a Breathalyzer test early yesterday, a sheriff's inspector said.

Jaye, who has faced drunken driving charges previously, was stopped by sheriff's deputies around 1:30 a.m. on state Highway 59 and released on $100 bond at about 6 a.m. yesterday, Macomb County sheriff's Inspector Mark Hackel said. Jaye cooperated with the deputies Hackel said.

Because Jaye has not been arraigned and the information has not yet been forwarded to prosecutors, Hackel said he could not disclose Jaye's blood-alcohol content. A blood-alcohol content of 0.10 percent or higher is considered drunk under Michigan law.

Jaye's attorney, Rob Huth said yesterday afternoon he hadn't had a chance to review the sheriff's department report.

"It is my understanding that his blood-alcohol was right at or around the legal limit and there may be mitigating circumstances. If not, I expect him to square up and take responsibility for his actions," Huth said.

Jaye could not be reached for comment yesterday afternoon.

"I have been a strong supporter of and always voted for tough drunk driving laws that we are all subject to," Jaye said in a statement released by his office.

"I am looking seeking counsel from my family and friends and ask for their prayer during this trying time."

Jaye, a Washington Township Republican, served three weekends in jail in 1993 for drunken driving.

He was arrested Feb. 2, 1993, after rolling through a stop sign in rural Webberville, about 20 miles east of Lansing. He was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of liquor and having an unlawful bodily alcohol content above 0.10 percent.
 















Lawyer says Jaye had been drinking
He questions if Senator was drunk at his arrest
Detroit Free Press
March 7, 2000
State Sen. David Jaye's lawyer said Monday that the veteran lawmaker had been drinking before he got behind the wheel early Sunday. The question, he said, is whether Jaye was driving drunk at the time he was arrested. "He regrets the incident," said Jaye's lawyer, Robert Huth. "He wishes he had not put himself in a position to be arrested." Jaye said Monday that he was troubled by a recent divorce and the...
















Jaye drunken-driving arrest sparks interest in pledge
Detroit News, The (MI)
March 7, 2000 
RICHMOND TOWNSHIP -- When a drunken driver struck and killed his high school classmate, a state legislator from Macomb County began asking his colleagues in Lansing to sign a pledge that they would resign if convicted of drunken driving.

By coincidence, Rep. Alan Sanborn's pledge is reaching the Michigan Senate at the same time that state Sen. David Jaye, a fellow Republican from nearby Washington Township, is charged of having a blood-alcohol level of .11 when he was arrested for drunk driving early Sunday in Macomb County. A driver with a level of .10 is considered legally drunk in Michigan.

Sanborn, a Republican, of Richmond Township has been collecting signatures in the Michigan House of Representatives for about six weeks to his Robert Brown Memorial Pledge. Brown was a Dryden Township police officer and high school classmate of Sanborn's who was killed by a drunken driver in December.

Sanborn refused Monday to identify which lawmakers or how many had signed the resign-if-convicted pledge.

"The leaderships of both parties have asked me not to divulge that information," Sanborn added. "They feel it could be embarrassing to any legislator who has not signed.

"But a sizable portion of the House members have signed already. And we are just starting (to circulate it) in the Senate," he said.

A spokesman for Jaye said he hasn't signed Sanborn's pledge because he hasn't been asked to. Jaye could not be reached for comment.

Sanborn refused to comment about Jaye's early Sunday morning arrest.

Macomb County Prosecutor Carl Marlinga said Jaye was observed by deputy sheriffs weaving in his car on Hall Road. The senator had left a sports bar earlier.

Jaye was charged Monday with his second offense of operating under the influence of liquor. The misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail, revocation of one's driver's license, plus fines and community service.

Jaye had been convicted of drunken driving in 1993 for an incident near Lansing.

Marlinga said Jaye also was convicted of drunken driving in 1985, but because that conviction occurred more than 10 years ago, prosecutors could not file a third-offense charge, which is a felony.

Jaye remains free on bond, pending his arraignment later this week.

Alice Johnson-Stacy, executive director of the Macomb County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said she thinks Jaye should be held to a higher standard because of his legislative positions.

"Should he have the right to pass laws that he's not willing to abide by?" Johnson-Stacy asked.



















Jaye signs into alcohol treatment 
Senator won't disclose specifics of program chosen after second drunken driving charge
Detroit News, The (MI)
March 12, 2000 
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP -- Sen. David Jaye, arrested last weekend on his second drunken driving charge, has entered an alcohol treatment program that he said won't interrupt his legislative duties.

The unidentified counseling program takes place during weekends and evenings, but the 44-year-old Republican lawmaker wouldn't give any details when asked about his treatment approach Saturday.

"I've met with physicians, clergy and I'm working on a very intensive program that's been put together by these individuals," he said from his Washington Township home. He declined to say more.

Jaye issued a public apology Friday. The senator, who repeatedly has emphasized his support of tough drunken driving laws, said in a three-paragraph statement:

"I sincerely regret the disappointment and embarrassment I have caused my family, friends and constituents. I made a mistake and I fully accept responsibility for my action. I will do everything in my power to restore your faith and trust in me."

He also disclosed that he has "met with other members of the Legislature who have overcome similar problems."

Jaye was pulled over at 1:30 a.m. last Sunday by sheriff's deputies on Hall Road in Macomb Township. After he failed a breath test, he was held in the county jail for nearly five hours until he was sober, authorities said. Jaye posted a $100 bond.

If convicted, this would be the senator's second drunken driving offense in seven years.

He was convicted for operating a vehicle under the influence of liquor in April 1993 for an incident near Webberville, about 20 miles east of Lansing, where he had been driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.17 percent.

Michigan motorists with two drunken driving convictions within seven years face these maximum penalties: one year in jail, a $1,000 fine, 90 days of community service and loss of a driver's license.

Jaye, elected to the House of Representatives in 1988, won an open Senate seat in March 1998.

He earlier was convicted in 1985 in Sterling Heights for operating a vehicle while impaired, according to records from the Secretary of State Office. Drivers operating a vehicle while impaired have a blood-alcohol level greater than 0.07 percent but less than 0.1 percent.

Senate Majority Leader Dan DeGrow, R-Port Huron, said last week that "any possible action by the Senate will wait until the legal proceedings have been concluded."



















A senator's offense
Jackson Citizen Patriot (MI)
March 15, 2000 
State Sen. David Jaye, R-Washington, has been a strong supporter of tough drunken-driving laws. His recent arrest on drunken-driving charges is, therefore, full of irony.

For one thing, this is the second time since 1984 he has been charged with driving under the influence of liquor. His driver's license was seized and destroyed at his arrest on March 5, and he is facing some of those tough drunken-driving laws he helped to craft. He could lose his license and forfeit his car.

In a related matter, State Rep. Alan Sanborn, R-Richmond, has been distributing a voluntary pledge that would commit a lawmaker to resign from office if convicted of drunken driving. We think that is overkill. Yes, those who make laws should be careful to obey them. And certainly, lawmakers should be subject to the same harsh penalties as any other citizen in the same circumstances. But a higher standard for lawmakers is not necessary.

Whether the offender is Joe Skidoo from Kalamazoo or David Jaye from the Senate, let each stand on level ground before the magistrate. Then let the court impose punishment evenhandedly, without showing greater leniency or harshness because the offender is a senator.
















Jaye Stripped Of Committee Assignments
Senator Pleads Guilty To Drunken Driving Charge
Click On Detroit
June 20, 2000
LANSING -- State Sen. David Jaye was stripped of his committee assignments Tuesday, a week after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor drunken driving charge.

Senate Majority Leader Dan DeGrow, (R) Port Huron, said Jaye will give up all committee assignments for the rest of the year. He will also be barred from state-paid business travel that would take him out of state, until next year.
"The Senate needed to take action," DeGrow said. The decision was his alone, he added.
Jaye, 42, is a Republican from Macomb County's Washington Township was arrested March 5 in Macomb Township and charged with second-offense operating under the influence of alcohol.

A test showed his blood-alcohol level was .11, above the legal limit of .10 for drunken driving.

Jaye pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count on June 12, which carries a five- to 100-day jail sentence and fine. His license may also be suspended or revoked at his sentencing, set for July 13.

After his arrest Jaye said he has maintained a 100 percent attendance record in the Senate while attending alcohol abuse treatment. And, the senator says he plans to have family and friends drive him to work if he loses his license because of the ordeal.
















Sheriff says Jaye is adjusting
The Argus-Press
Owosso, Michigan
July 17, 2000
Port Huron, Mich. [AP] - State Sen. David Jaye is adjusting to life in the St. Clair County Jail, working in the kitchen while serving time for misdemeanor drunken driving, the county's chief law enforcer said.

Sheriff Dan Lane said Jaye, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drunken driving charge last month, is working 12 to 16 hour days in the jail kitchen, cleaning and preparing food. The Senator sleeps in a community cell with seven minimum-security inmates, the sheriff said.

"It's only because of the media blitz. We're putting him in where hopefully he will not get harmed," Lane said Friday. "And that's where he'll stay for the next 45 days."

Lane said other inmates know who the 42-year-old Jaye is and why he's jailed, given that several inmates get newspapers, "so they know he's there."

The Republican from Macomb County's Washington Township was arrested March 5 in Macomb Township and charged with second-offense operating under the influence of alcohol. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail Thursday and almost immediately was moved from the Macomb County to St. Clair County, Lane told the Times Herald.

Torrey said St. Clair County has a good relationship with officials at the Macomb County Jail and often "swaps" high-profile prisoners.

Former Port Huron Mayor Gerald "Ajax" Ackerman spent time in the Macomb County Jail under similar conditions.

After a 1993 drunken-driving conviction, Jaye spent 10 days in jail.

After pleading guilty in the latest case, Jaye was stripped of his committee assignments last month. He will have them reinstated if he completes an alcohol rehabilitation program, said Judy Allen, chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Dan DeGrow.

"Senator Degrow's intention is to reinstate him January if he completes an alcohol rehabilitation program. And he's in the one," Allen told the Macomb Daily of Mount Clemens for a story Sunday.