CHARLOTTE — CMS parents are raising safety concerns before the first day of school after a man accused of threatening students bonded out of jail.
Drew Owens, the man accused of threatening to shoot students at five CMS schools, got out of jail months after his bond was reduced.
Channel 9’s Eli Brand spoke with a lawyer and former judge who explained how bond reductions like this typically work.
Yolanda Trotman said it’s hard to know for sure why this decision was made, but there are many factors a judge takes into consideration.
Trotman was a judge in Mecklenburg County from 2015 to 2016. She still works in the court system as an attorney.
She says when a judge considers bond reductions, they look at many things that can include risk to the community, if that person is a flight risk, if they have family support, if there is a mental health component, and whether the person has the means to secure their release.
Trotman says other factors could include whether a person has been in jail long enough to reach the minimum sentence for the crime they’re accused of, or if the judge believes their defense might have enough evidence to weaken the charge.
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It’s worth keeping in mind that Drew Owens’ bond was reduced from $200,000 to $75,000 in May. He just happened to bond out on Friday.
Trotman also says it’s worth clarifying that bond hearings are different than a trial.
“Bond is not meant to be a punishment,” she said. “Bond is supposed to secure a person’s return to court.”
CMS sent a letter to parents at at least one of the five school Owens is accused of threatening: Hawk Ridge Elementary.
In it they said:
“School and district leadership are aware and remain in close communication with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Police Department (CMSPD) and our law enforcement partners. The individual has been banned from all CMS property, and any violation of the ban will result in immediate law enforcement action.”
We reached out to the judge who decided to lower Owens’ bond to see why they made that decision. We are waiting for their response.