Jan. 8 hearing in fatal shooting over loose dog

WALLED LAKE (AP) -- A judge has set a Jan. 8 probable-cause hearing for a suburban Detroit man accused of fatally shooting a neighbor who complained about his loose dog. Twenty-eight-year-old Charles J. Simkins of Walled Lake appeared in court Monday on first-degree murder and firearms charges in the death last week of Edwin Criswell. Authorities say the 45-year-old Criswell confronted Simkins about Simkins' dog getting into Criswell's yard. They say Simkins confronted animal control officers with a handgun three days earlier when they came investigating a barking dog complaint. Novi District Judge Dennis Powers on Monday set a later hearing date so defense lawyer Todd Flood would have more time to review police reports. Flood says Simkins has no criminal record and is a Marine Corps veteran who served in Fallujah, Iraq. Published: Fri, Dec 27, 2013