Bond Reduced for Stonewall Murder Suspect

JUST IN – Concerned citizens recently reacted to the bond reduction for Ms. Ashley Granger, 33 who was charged with murder after allegedly stabbing Mr. Antonio Marcus Heard to death on April 5th.

The stabbing was reported in the early morning hours on Ponderosa Avenue after a 911 call reporting the incident.

According to Sheriff Todd Kemp in an on-camera interview says Ms. Granger admitted to emergency dispatchers of accidentally stabbing Heard.

After the bond reduction made news, several concerned citizens have contacted CCHT in an outrage asking why the judge would drastically reduce the bond amount of a murder suspect.

CCHT reached out to Clarke County Justice Court Judge Tobey Bartee who released the following statement to CCHT: The new guidelines by the Supreme Court handed down to all judges during our conference was to set a reasonable bond that a person can bond out. There are a lot of things to take in consideration when doing so and we as judges consider all factors and also consult with the prosecutor prior to.

Judge Bartee went on to say that, both city municipalities and counties have been and are getting sued because of defendants staying in jail for long periods of time for their inability to make bond or not being afforded proper hearings.

CCHT also reached out to Clarke County Chief Deputy Barry White who confirms the bond was reduced from $75,000.00 to $10,000.00 by Clarke County Justice Court Judge Tobey Bartee which the Sheriff’s Department has no control over bond hearings or amounts.

Judge Bartee also says, that the “bond” is not a sentence because all suspects are innocent until proven guilty in the court of law.

The question remains; Does this mean we could see more crimes being committed with the possibility of getting out of jail sooner due to low bond amounts? Is the recent civil actions in the defendants favor making it harder for both law enforcement officers and judges to do their job? Let us know what you think on CCHT.