The Maryland Judiciary has defended a District Court judge's decision in June to grant bail to a man who was accused of shooting a Baltimore police officer last weekend.
Donte Jones, 19, who police say shot Officer Andrew Groman in the abdomen during a traffic stop Sunday, had been arrested two previous times on handgun charges, according to police and court records.
He was placed on probation after pleading guilty to a January 2013 handgun charge, then was rearrested in June of this year and charged with illegal possession of a handgun.
Jones appeared before District Judge Mark Scurti on June 29 at a bail review hearing, where the Baltimore state's attorney's office asked the judge not to grant Jones bail because he was on probation.
But Scurti set bail at $150,000, and court records show Jones posted a bond on June 30 and was released.
Scurti's decision drew criticism this week from the Baltimore police union, which saw it as a missed opportunity to keep Jones off the streets.
The state court system explained the reasoning behind Scurti's decision. In a statement, the court system said judges consider state laws, prior records, family and community ties, job status and recommendations from prosecutors and defense attorneys when deciding whether to set bail.
"In this case, the defendant had no violent history, no felony convictions and no prior failures to appear in court," the court statement said. "He was employed, a father of one child with one on the way, had a verified address and showed strong community ties. All of these factors indicated he was not a flight risk.
"The court endeavors to apply the standards of pretrial release in a fair and impartial manner."
While the court system noted that prosecutors had urged Scurti not to grant bail, the Baltimore public defender's office recommended that Jones' bail be set at $25,000.
"After a comprehensive review of the case," the court system said, "the judge set a bail of $150,000."
Scurti, by law, could not "comment on a pending procedure because it could affect the outcome or impair the fairness of that proceeding," Maryland Judiciary spokeswoman Terri Charles said.
The state probation office is also under investigation for its handling Jones' probation. His June arrest triggered a violation of the terms of his probation from his January 2013 conviction. A state probation agent wrote a request for an arrest warrant June 24 but failed to send the request to a judge. The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services said Friday it is investigating how the lapse occurred.
On Thursday, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake did not criticize the court or probation system but said that she expected all parts of the criminal justice system to review Jones' case and the legal steps that led to him being on the streets.
Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts declined to address the issue. He briefed reporters on Groman's condition, which he said was improving after the 27-year-old officer underwent surgery.
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