A sitting Flint councilman faces felony assault charges just weeks before voters decide his future

Flint City Council member Leon El-Alamin will not stand trial for felony assault and domestic violence until October 14. That date falls less than three weeks before the November 3 general election in which he is running for a new seat on the same council.

The trial has been postponed three times since it was originally scheduled for March, according to court records obtained by MLive.

Three delays and a murder trial that took precedence

Judge Khary L. Hanible of Genesee Circuit Court rescheduled El-Alamin's trial on June 17 to allow the murder trial of Deonte O'Neil Wiley to proceed. Wiley faces six charges including first-degree premeditated murder for the 2023 killing of Rickey Williams, a 57-year-old father of 14 in Flint.

"The defense said a witness to the case was not subpoenaed properly," according to WJRT ABC12. "Genesee County prosecutor David Leyton adds that the murder trial of Deante Wiley has also contributed to pushing back the councilman's trial."

A motion hearing for El-Alamin is scheduled for August 4 at 10 a.m., court records show. The jury trial is set to begin October 14 at 8:30 a.m.

The charges stem from a July 2025 altercation

El-Alamin's case was bound over for trial from Genesee District Court last September. The charges stem from an incident on July 10, 2025, at a home in Mt. Morris Township that El-Alamin shared with the alleged victim.

According to an affidavit authored by the alleged victim, El-Alamin dragged her by her hair, punched her in the head, and choked her. Township police responded after she called emergency dispatchers for help. Officers reportedly saw facial lacerations and marks on her neck.

El-Alamin faces:

  • Assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, a felony carrying up to 10 years in prison
  • Domestic violence, a misdemeanor
  • A habitual offender charge that could enhance his sentence if convicted

He has been released on a $7,500 bond and continues to serve on the Flint City Council.

Political stakes loom over the trial timing

El-Alamin is serving his first term representing Flint's 1st Ward. Due to redistricting, he is now a candidate for the 3rd Ward seat in the November election. He faces Paradise Williams in that race.

There will be no primary election in the 3rd Ward because fewer than three qualified candidates sought the ballot.

El-Alamin has maintained since his arrest that he is "innocent of all the charges" against him, according to MLive.

Attorneys involved in the case told reporters in March that the alleged victim may no longer be interested in testifying. Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said he plans to prosecute regardless.

Flint's city charter requires a council member to forfeit their seat if convicted of a felony while holding office.

What happens next

The October 14 trial date gives El-Alamin roughly five months to prepare his defense while campaigning. Voters in the 3rd Ward will cast their ballots on November 3, just 20 days after the trial is scheduled to begin.

Anyone with information about the underlying assault case can contact Genesee County authorities. The case remains active in Genesee Circuit Court.