By Jon King / jking@whmi.com

The attorney for Democratic State Rep. Jewell Jones of Inkster has withdrawn from the case, citing a "breakdown in the attorney/client privilege."

Ali Hammoud had been representing Jones since his arrest in April after a run-in with police near Fowlerville when his vehicle crashed into a ditch along I-96 and he resisted responding officers. The 26-year-old Jones was charged with drunken driving, resisting police, possession of a weapon while under the influence of alcohol, and reckless driving.

Jones was jailed on Tuesday after Judge Michael Hatty determined he had violated bond a third time by drinking alcohol and tampering with his alcohol monitor over the Labor Day weekend. Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy says that when they were processing Jones into the jail, deputies discovered a handcuff key taped to his foot.

Jones was subsequently charged by the Livingston County Prosecutor's Office with two additional felonies; bringing a weapon into a jail and attempting to escape custody while awaiting trial.

Hammoud's co-counsel, Byron Nolen, is now the lead attorney and immediately requested a mental health evaluation for his client, which was granted by Judge Hatty. He also requested a delay in the pretrial hearing on the original charges against Jones "until the second matter in this same court can catch up to this case." It was rescheduled for October 15th.

Meanwhile, Jones was stripped of his committee assignments on Thursday by House Speaker Jason Wentworth, R-Farwell, who said Jones' "increasingly disruptive and distracting behavior in the months following his April arrest has eroded my confidence in his ability to conduct the people’s work." House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski, D-Scio Township, and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have both declined to state publicly if they believe Jones should resign his office.

Picture is Courtesy of WJBK - Fox 2 Detroit.