A Seattle judge said he sympathized with the mother of a murder suspect, explaining that she had received death threats over some of her bail decisions for violent crime suspects.
King County Superior Court Judge Johanna Bender's remarks came during a case that focused on the ongoing debate over the criminal justice system's approach to bail.
Kayshawn Jimerson, 20, has been charged with second-degree murder for allegedly fatally stabbing handyman and military veteran Michael Gray, 65, in the back with a large kitchen knife, according to reports. He was indicted. fox 13.
Renton police said surveillance footage showed Jimerson hitting Gray twice from behind with a broomstick. Gray then turned and followed Jimerson into the home, where Jimerson is accused of stabbing him twice. Jimerson claimed self-defense during the 911 call, but police said the footage and the wounds on Gray's back and side suggest otherwise.
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K'Shawn Conscience Jimerson is accused of stabbing a Renton handyman to death. (King County Prosecutor's Office)
According to Fox 13, King County District Court Judge Michele Gehrsen initially set Jimerson's bail at $50,000 during his first court hearing. The decision surprised many in the community, including law enforcement leaders who believed it did not reflect the seriousness of the crime.
“Our community deserves to be protected from the suspects responsible for these acts of violence,” Renton Police Chief John Schulte said in a statement after Jimerson's release.
Just days later, prosecutors formally charged Jimerson with second-degree murder and asked that his bail be increased to $2 million.
At an Oct. 3 hearing to address prosecutors' request to increase bail, Bender asked if anyone wanted to address the issue in court. Jimerson's mother approached the bench and asked the media not to show her son's face due to concerns about “vigilante justice,” Fox 13 reported.
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Renton police were dispatched to the apartment after Kayshawn Conscience Jimerson called 911 and told the operator he had stabbed someone. (Renton Police Department)
“People want to take matters into their own hands and attack my child,” Jimerson's mother said. “I feel like he's being tried before he even has a chance to be tried.”
Ms. Bender then expressed her sympathy for Ms. Jimerson's mother and spoke of her frustration with the death threats she had received over the court's decisions.
“While this hearing is not about me, I will share that I often receive death threats based on the decisions I make,” Bender told Jimerson's mother. “It's just as frustrating for me because I'm trying to do my job and it's not the responsibility of the average person to threaten my life just because I'm trying to uphold the law. So I empathize with this very much.'' You have been through the situation your family is in, and how terrifying it is as you go through this incredibly traumatic time for your family. I personally understand how confusing this can be. ”
“I'm just doing my job. You're dealing with a crisis,” the judge continued. “That's a big difference, and I'm very sympathetic to that, and I'm going to take this opportunity to write an editorial that will help the news media cover what happens in our courtrooms in a fair and impartial way.” We need to take seriously our obligation to communicate in a way that is effective and take all reasonable editorial measures to avoid stirring up feelings of revenge among the public.”
King County Superior Court Judge Johanna Bender said she empathizes with the murder suspect's mother. (St. Petersburg)
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Bender ruled that the media could publish Jimerson's face because the surveillance video had already been broadcast to the media. She increased the $2 million bail requested by prosecutors to $500,000.
Bender's other decisions criticized by victims and their families include a July decision to set bail at $50,000 for a man who allegedly shot a grandmother multiple times at an ATM in front of the woman's granddaughter. This includes the determination of
In February, Bender's bail for his alleged accomplice in the double murder case was lowered from $1 million to $20,000. The victim's family condemned the decision, saying, “No one is safe if he's out. $20,000 bail is not enough to protect people.”
