Typical of Harris County judges: a man arrested and charged with murdering his supervisor in Greenway Plaza office building has his bond cut in half.
That bond was initially set at $500,000, but has been cut in half to $250,000 by Democrat 337th District Court Judge Colleen Gaido.
In court it was revealed that bail companies only require 3%, so this capital murder suspect with nothing to lose would be freed on less than $10,000.
Montavius Wright is accused of fatally shooting Cedar Park Technologies manager Doran Kelly last Wednesday.
Kelly was reportedly Wright’s supervisor at the Cedar Gate Technologies offices.
Prosecutors in the 337th District Court argued that Wright, 26, be held at a high bond amount.
However Democrat Judge Gaido lowered Wright’s bail.
As the Houston Chronicle reports during the hearing, Wright’s mother, Tahisha Hannor, said she received quotes from two bonding companies. One requested that she pay the standard 10 percent of the initial bail amount to free Wright from jail — while another bondsman asked for 3 percent.
So 3% on a $250,000 bond is just $7,500. So for $7,500 a capital murder suspect with nothing to lose would be freed and walking the streets of Houston.
“The testimony offers insight into a pattern of bonding companies offering lower fees than the traditional 10 percent to ensure a defendant’s release from jail. A Chronicle investigation last year found that bonding agents were offering lower fees on more violent crimes, with hefty payment plans and collateral deals often the trade-off to defendants and their families.
The Harris County Bail Bond Board this month voted against requiring bail bondsmen to collect a 10 percent minimum on violent crimes. A payment plan would be a financial hardship, Hannor continued...
The motive surrounding the shooting remains unclear — but police have made assurances that it was not random. Court records show a colleague at Cedar Gate Technologies — a Connecticut-based healthcare technology company — heard a gunshot from his cubicle, looked out and saw Wright — who worked in the company’s IT department — pointing a pistol at Kelly. Wright told his co-worker not to say anything and bolted, records continued. Police apprehended him at his downtown apartment....Should Wright make bond, he is prohibited from contacting Kelly’s family, witnesses or any Cedar Gate Technologies employees or going within 500 feet of the office building.”