Alabama Judge Denies Bail Increase for Attempted Murder Suspect
In Alabama, a judge has turned down requests from both prosecutors and community members to raise the bail for a man charged with attempted murder after he was detained in connection with a recent shooting. Remarkably, the suspect has yet to be released from prison.
The incident happened just after 11:30 p.m. on October 4, following a college football game between Morehouse and the Tuskegee Classic in Montgomery. As per Montgomery Police Chief Jim Grabboys, the violent event left two individuals dead and twelve others injured, with only one of them being the intended target. There were multiple shooters involved.
“The situation began with a person who we believe was targeted among those injured or deceased,” Graboys stated. “And then, a gunfight ensued. During this exchange, several individuals in the crowd also pulled out their weapons and started firing.”
One of the suspects, Javoric Whiting, age 19, was apprehended on October 16 and charged with attempted murder. The latest information indicates that the shooting victim related to Whiting’s case is in critical condition, according to court documents.
After his arrest, a judge initially set bail at $60,000. Whiting managed to post this bail via a bail bond company on October 17, as detailed in court records.
In response to community concerns, prosecutors filed a motion for an additional $60,000 increase in Whiting’s bail. They argued that the existing bail was far too low to keep the public safe from what they described as a dangerous and violent individual.
However, District Judge Michael Godwin rejected the motion, explaining that the prosecution didn’t provide any new evidence to justify the increase. Notably, he wasn’t the judge who set the original bail amount.
“The issue here is that the prosecution has not brought forth any new or additional information that wasn’t already considered during the initial hearing when bail was established,” Godwin mentioned in his ruling.
Governor Kay Ivey has publicly expressed her frustration over the situation. In a Facebook post, she noted, “Today, I learned that one of the four suspects has been released and put back on the streets. This exemplifies the loophole in the law that I, alongside several Congress members, aimed to address with the Safe Alabama Act.” She also highlighted the upcoming opportunity for Alabama voters to potentially amend these bail requirements next May.
The law in question, Ania’s Law, was enacted in 2019 to honor Ania Blanchard, who was murdered when out on bail for a violent crime. It gives judges and prosecutors the discretion to grant or deny bail for serious offenses like kidnapping and murder.
There has been movement in the legislature to include attempted murder in the criteria for Ania’s Law, but it still awaits approval from voters in the state.
