Judge denies motion for release for teen who has awaited trial for a year

Circuit Court Judge Daniel Damman rejected a request for Carmello Wilson's release, despite the juvenile having spent over a year incarcerated.

Wilson, a 16-year-old who is accused of shooting and killing 19-year-old KC Curtis Cureton in July 2023, has been in custody since the shooting and is being charged as an adult with open murder. He has also been charged with felony firearm use and resisting, obstructing, or assaulting a police officer.

Court records state multiple witnesses identified Wilson as the shooter, and that he had hidden the gun and changed his clothes to avoid matching the description given to police. He had reportedly threatened Cureton in the past, including in recorded messages.

Defense attorney Sharon Parrish argued Wilson should be released given how long his incarceration has been without being convicted of a crime.

"We are at a year, your honor, of his being incarcerated, and I think that's wrong," Parrish said.

Parrish cited Michigan Court Rule 6.909 that state a juvenile defendant must be released after 91 days.

Damman calculated how much of the delay since Wilson's arrest were caused by defense motions, including multiple switches in defense attorney, and concluded there were 129 days not attributable to the defense.

Damman said, however, the rule for adults, MCR 6.004, gives the court 180 days before a defendant should be released, and allows a judge to hold a defendant if they believe they are a flight risk. Damman asked Parrish if she had reason to believe the juvenile rule should apply before the hearing, and Parrish said she did not.

Damman denied the motion, citing that Wilson had resisted arrest.

Wilson is set to face a jury trial beginning Oct. 8. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.

Contact Johnathan Hogan at jhogan@gannett.com.