Alleged Robbers Appear in Baraga Circuit Court

The two men who allegedly posed as U.S. Marshalls during a robbery in Covington Township last summer appeared in Baraga County Circuit Court yesterday for their pretrials. Bernard Fish’s attorney, David Gemignani, was requesting a motion to dismiss the statements that Fish made to Michigan State Police troopers during his arrival at the Baraga County Jail because he was not read his Miranda rights and the statements were given involuntarily. After listening to testimony from one of the officers who transported Fish from Marquette to Baraga, Judge Charles Goodman deemed that Fish initiated the dialogue between himself and the officers. Citing several previous precedents, he ruled that the reading of his Miranda rights was not required and the statements he made were voluntary, allowing them to be used as a part of the case. Donavan Waupoose’s attorney was present via telephone but wasn’t ready to move forward with the case, so that pretrial was postponed. An April 14th trial date has been set for four days.