3 charged with attempted murder released on $500 bond
“Simply ridiculous,” said Chief James Craig, when told of the low bonds. “What message are we sending to people who engage in violent, predatory crime? The message is: it’s not that serious.”
(Excerpt from WXYZ Detroit)
In the midst of one of the deadliest months in recent memory—17 people were shot in Detroit last weekend alone, three died—a Detroit judge released three people accused of attempted murder after posting only a $500 bond.
“Simply ridiculous,” said Chief James Craig, when told of the low bonds. “What message are we sending to people who engage in violent, predatory crime? The message is: it’s not that serious.”
The judge responsible has been criticized before for handing out low bonds for high crimes: Dalton Roberson is a visiting Judge at Wayne County Circuit Court.
The bonds in question were all assigned earlier this month during weekend arraignments, where representatives from the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office are not present due to understaffing.
At a home on Seebaldt in Detroit, Donald Smith is accused of getting into a fight with a 20-year-old man over his daughter. According to prosecutors, Smith chased him up the stairs, pointed a gun at his head and then shot him in the neck.
With two felony convictions in his past, Smith was charged with assault with intent to murder, felony firearm and six other felonies. On June 2, Roberson set his bond at $5,000 10%, meaning Smith only had to pay $500 before walking out of jail. He did.
“When you talk about shooting someone in the neck,” said an exasperated Chief Craig, “what about the victims?”
On the same day of Smith’s arraignment, Roberson also arraigned Jeffery Sims. According to prosecutors, at a gas station on Fenkell, he approached his victim, shoved him into the back of his car and beat him in the head with a baseball bat.
Charged with assault with intent to commit murder and unlawful imprisonment, Roberson let him walk out of jail, too, after posting $500.
A third defendant arraigned by Roberson, also charged with assault with intent to commit murder, is Javauna Williams. According police and prosecutors, she came to a home on Rosemont in Detroit and set it on fire, all while a woman was inside.