A hearing has gotten underway for a white ex-police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of black man in North Charleston, South Carolina. A chain stretched from ankle to ankle. He said Slager is no flight risk because he wants to return to court to clear his name.
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His comments were brief, and the 33-year-old murder defendant didn’t launch into his account of what happened before he fatally shot Scott in the back on April 4.
Prosecution and defense attorneys had sparred over the bond question a day earlier.
It was the second day in a row a hearing regarding the possibility of bond for Slager ended without a decision.
Judge Clifton Newman said Friday he will make his decision “as expeditiously as possible”.
Bail for murder suspects is routine.
Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson countered, showing photos taken from the cell phone footage of the shooting that showed the Taser on the ground before Scott attempted to flee from Slager.
The arguments about the strength of the case was no surprise to legal observers. One held a sign that said, “Keep the murderer in jail!” “(The defense) let the initial outrage settle down a bit, but in this case, you need to go forward with all you’ve got”.
After a three-hour bond hearing in a downtown Charleston courtroom, former North Charleston officer Michael Slager is still waiting to hear if he will be released on bond.
The family of Walter Scott says the defense attorney’s case is all smoke and mirrors. Similar laws already are on the books in New York, California and Florida, he said. “The decisions surrounding the case were premature”, he said.
In August, the Post and Courier reported that people are pulled over by police in North Charleston at a much higher rate compared to other large cities in the state, averaging at stop every eight minutes.
Scott’s family, meanwhile, argues no evidence of any kind submitted justifies how he was killed. Slager said he would abide by the court’s orders. He also said he wanted to see his newborn son. There were no aggravating circumstances such as robbery or kidnapping, so the death penalty doesn’t apply in the case, the prosecutor has said. That trial is set for July. Slager’s defense said it could be ready by spring.
Newman gave them 60 days to think about it more before reconvening for another hearing about the schedule. “Just to look in his face, it just did something to me”, said Anthony Scott, the victim’s oldest brother. “Transparency is important. It’s important not only for the public, but for me”.
Just a few protesters gathered outside the Charleston County Courthouse as the hearing took place.
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It was the first time the family had been in the same courtroom with Slager. Savage contends his client, who had previously received letters of commendation from the North Charleston Police Department, was defending himself against an assailant who had blood and alcohol in his system.
