The change came Friday after 63-year-old Roger Stockham said in court he wanted to get rid of Mark Haidar, saying the defense attorney “is a Shiite” and a “patron of the mosque.”

Dearborn District Court Judge Mark Somers ordered Stockham to a holding area and said he would see about getting him a new counsel. He then appointed criminal defense attorney Matthew Evans.

Stockham made the statements during what was scheduled to be a preliminary examination on charges of making a false report or threat of terrorism and possessing explosives with an unlawful intent.

Wayne County assistant prosecutor Khalid Najar says he still expects the hearing to go forward despite the change in lawyers.

Stockham was arrested Jan. 24 driving near Dearborn’s Islamic Center of America. Police say he had more than two dozen powerful fireworks in his car. He’s charged with one count of making a false report or threat of terrorism and one count of possessing explosives with an unlawful intent.

The Imperial Beach, California, resident has had several legal run-ins dating back to the 1970s. He has twice been committed for psychiatric treatment.