Arraignment Adjourned For Bob Bashara
DETROIT (WWJ) - An arraignment for Grosse Pointe Park murder-for-hire suspect Bob Bashara has been adjourned after a judge ruled to allow a new attorney to take over the case.
Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Morrow on Tuesday granted defense attorney David Griem his stipulation for a change of council, after a District Court judge had earlier denied the motion.
WWJ Newsradio 950's Mike Campbell reported Bashara, clad in green jail garb, made a brief appearance in court as the judge set a new arraignment date for August 7 at which time attorney Mark Kriger will take over.
Griem has said he and Bashara mutually decided to part ways after suffering what he called a "breakdown in communication."
Following Tuesday's hearing, Griem told reporters he still can't offer too many details as to what happened between them.
"I would be giving the prosecutor's office free discovery which they have no right to," said Griem. "And they've made ... extensive use of their prosecutors' subpoenas -- they've gotten all the discovery they need."
Griem said that he and Bashara had problems from the beginning. "In regards to Mr. Bashara's defense, we were not only not on the same page, we weren't even in the same book," he said.
Griem told reporters he fully expects the murder solicitation case to go forward, adding that he also believes a murder charge will eventually be brought against Bashara.
Bashara was bound over for trial last week after a witness testified about an alleged plot to hire at hit on his former handyman, Joseph Gentz.
Gentz is facing murder and conspiracy charges in the murder of Bob Bashara's wife, Jane Bashara, whose body was found in her Mercedes-Benz SUV in Detroit in January. Gentz has claimed Bashara paid him to kill his wife.
Griem has withdrawn from a high-profile murder case before. He dropped defendant Stephen Grant before the Macomb County man, in 2007, was convicted of second-degree murder for killing and dismembering his wife, Tara.
