Former Michigan football player Justin Feagin appeared in Washtenaw County Court Wednesday afternoon before Judge Charles Pope to waive his right to a preliminary exam for three drug charges brought against him.
The preliminary exam would have presented evidence to determine whether the case is worthy of a trial. By waiving his right to the exam, Feagin’s case will now go directly to Washtenaw County Circuit Court proceedings, set to begin with a pretrial under Judge Archie Brown on Jan. 6.
With the case now in circuit court, Feagin plans to plead not guilty to the three charges brought against him, his lawyers said in court Wednesday. Those three charges are conspiracy to deliver less than 50 grams of cocaine, conspiracy to possess 25 to 50 grams of cocaine and conspiracy to possess less than 25 grams of cocaine.
Feagin’s charges are based on an botched drug deal that occurred last winter, when Feagin planned to obtain cocaine from his home state of Florida to deliver to another University student, Timothy Burke. A falling out between the two students occurred, and when the drugs had not arrived by March, Burke set fire to a hallway in West Quad to scare Feagin.
Feagin left the University shortly after being dismissed from the football team in July for what Michigan head football coach Rich Rodriguez called “a violation of team rules.”
Burke, who also had his preliminary exam scheduled for this afternoon, requested to have the exam adjourned until a later date. The defense requested the rescheduling in order to review tapes that had not yet been thoroughly examined.
Burke’s exam has been rescheduled for Dec. 9.