Royal Oak Doctor To Stand Trial On Terrorism Charges

ROYAL OAK, MI — A 47-year-old doctor Royal Oak doctor will stand trial on 22 terrorism related charges after threatening to kill Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper, a retired county circuit judge, bailiffs and others back in September 2016. Dr. Kumar A. Singh waived his preliminary examination on Friday at 44th District Court in Royal Oak and will now head to Oakland County Circuit Court on the charges.

Singh has been jailed on $1 million bond since he was charged in the case in September, the Royal Oak Daily Tribune reported. Charges against him include ethnic intimidation and using the internet and cellphone texts to make the threats. Cooper recused herself in the case and Singh is now being prosecuted by the Genessee County Prosecutor, the newspaper reported.

Trouble started after Singh felt his reputation had been tarnished when he was called as a witness in a criminal case in Oakland County Circuit Court in 2013-14 because of the way he was cross-examined by a prosecutor, the Daily Tribune reported. His attorney earlier considered using an insanity defense, but a state Center for Forensic Psychiatry and ruled competent for trial and criminal responsibility several months ago, the newspaper reported.

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About two months before Singh was arrested and charged, neighbors called Royal Oak police after hearing at least one gunshot from Singh’s apartment, the Daily Tribune reported. He was subsequently charged with a misdemeanor for reckless discharge of a firearm and pleaded guilty less than a week before his arrest for threatening to kill the prosecutor and others.

Singh on Friday also pleaded guilty to violating his probation in the misdemeanor case, but penalties for the violation were dismissed because Singh already served more than the maximum 90-day sentence for his probation violation, the newspaper reported.

Photo courtesy of Royal Oak police