DECATUR, AL (WAFF) -
A Morgan County judge cut the bonds for two murder suspects down from $500,000 to $20,000.
Family members of the victim, Glenn Blackwood, were emotional after the decision was announced. Some openly wept, and Blackwood's cousin was arrested in the courtroom after yelling an expletive towards Judge Glenn Thompson.
Tyler Hann was taken to the Morgan County Jail and is charged with contempt of court
Hann's outburst came after the judge decided to reduce the bond for Steven King Jr. Later, the judge made the same bond reduction for Jameson Staten.
King, Jameson Staten and Lorin Wilson are charged with the shooting death of Blackwood at his Decatur apartment in June, 2012. Investigators said during a previous hearing that Wilson was the only one who fired a gun.
Judge Thompson said he reduced the bonds for King and Staten because they have no previous criminal record and do not pose a flight risk.
The victim's mother, Janice Sapp, said the judge made a mistake.
"They should have just left them there with no bond. If you murder one time, you'll murder again. Why give us that chance for them to murder somebody else?" Sapp said. "I'm scared because one of them lives right down the road from me. So, you know, why should I not be scared? Because they might come up there. They murdered once, they'll murder again. There was no reason to murder the first time, so why give them a second time?"
One of King's attorneys said the judge made the right decision that falls within Alabama bond schedule mandates. The bond range for non-capital murder in Alabama is between $15,000 and $75,000.
"His role in this, no one ever accused him of being the shooter. He's denied knowing what was going on at all. The events took place on the second floor. He was on the first floor the whole time. And going back further, he's got a spotless record," said lawyer Carl Cole.
Wilson's bond remains $500,000.
All three suspects were 17-years-old at the time of the shooting. They have all applied for youthful offender status. Hearings on that issue are schedule for August.
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Jameson Staten and Steven King Jr. had their bonds reduced on Wednesday.
Investigators said Wilson was the only one who fired a gun.
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