A Texas teen accused of homicide was launched from police custody after his bond was drastically decreased from $800,000 to $100 per cost.
Stephon Martin Morson, 19, was launched from the Travis County Jail in Austin, Texas, on Saturday after he posted bail.
Morson is accused within the capturing dying of 20-year-old Keshawn Cage, who police discovered with a gunshot wound to the pinnacle again in October.
The Travis County Jail informed Fox Information Digital that Morson was booked on Nov. 6, 2024, and charged with homicide and tamper/fabricate bodily proof.
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Stephon Martin Morson, 19, of Austin, Texas, is charged with homicide, however out of jail after his bond was decreased from $800,000 to $100 per cost. (Travis County Jail)
His bond was initially set at $800,000, nevertheless it was not too long ago dropped to $100 for every cost, for a complete of $200, with the situations that Morson put on a GPS monitor, stay below home arrest and never contact the household of the sufferer or potential witnesses, CBS Austin first reported.
Austin Police Affiliation President Michael Bullock informed Fox Information Digital that Morson’s punishment was “not sufficient.”
“For a person accused of homicide to have his bond decreased so low that he’s in a position to stroll free is a slap within the face to Austinites who might probably turn out to be the subsequent sufferer. The revolving door of violent criminals continuously launched again onto the streets of Austin is strictly why we’ve seen violent crime improve,” Bullock mentioned.
He added: “The District Legal professional, County Legal professional, and Judges right here have clearly demonstrated they aren’t occupied with taking care of the protection of Austinites nor working with legislation enforcement. All they’re occupied with is their very own political agenda. We’ve seen criminals launched on bond who, whereas free, kill somebody. The actual query is when will sufficient be sufficient?”
Bullock mentioned this isn’t the primary time Travis County judges and magistrates have drastically decreased bond for an individual accused of homicide or sexual assault.
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott described the discount of Morson’s bond and his subsequent launch as “outrageous.” (Brandon Bell/Getty Photos)
“This isn’t unique to only one decide. This has occurred throughout a number of totally different courts,” Bullock mentioned. “We’ve had some the place they might not reoffend, however then we’ve had others who do reoffend. Those that get out on bond they usually homicide another person after they’re already accused of a violent crime.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott additionally commented on Morson’s launch and referred to as the transfer “outrageous.”
“That is outrageous. It is why I made bail reform an Emergency Merchandise,” Abbott wrote in a publish on X.
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Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick additionally backed Abbott and mentioned he is able to play “hardball” to maintain violent offenders from being launched on bail throughout a particular session final week to move a bail reform bundle.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick advocated for a bail reform bundle at the moment within the state legislature and mentioned violent offenders can’t be launched from jail on bond. (REUTERS/David ‘Dee’ Delgado)
On Wednesday, the payments cleared the primary of many obstacles to changing into legislation. The Senate Felony Justice Committee handed the bail reform bundle by a vote of 6-0.
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“I’m grateful that Gov. Abbott declared bail reform an emergency merchandise for the present legislative session. Too many harmless individuals, each residents and legislation enforcement officers, have turn out to be targets of criminals because of irresponsible bail quantities that permit violent criminals to go free,” Bullock mentioned. “We’re a nation of legislation and order, however activist judges and prosecutors which are occupied with their very own agenda moderately than the legislation are eroding that precept.”
Crime victims’ advocates in Texas have been making an attempt to get more durable bail laws on the books for years, particularly in sure circumstances involving egregious crimes. In years previous, many felony offenders in Harris County had been launched on low bond or no bond in any respect, with some happening to reoffend, typically violently, in line with Rania Mankarious, the CEO of Crime Stoppers of Houston.
Fox Information Digital reached out to the Travis County District Legal professional’s Workplace however didn’t instantly obtain a response.
Fox Information Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Stepheny Worth is a author for Fox Information Digital and Fox Enterprise. Story ideas and concepts may be despatched to stepheny.worth@fox.com
