Ex-Officer Charged In Fatal Shooting Seeks Release

walterscottflees-660CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Attorneys for a white former police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man during a traffic stop are expected to argue Thursday that he should be released from jail before his murder trial because he poses no threat to the public. Lawyers for Michael Slager have filed 150 pages of documents ahead of the hearing, including a toxicology report showing there was cocaine in Walter Scott‘s blood when he was killed. The documents also included a psychological assessment that the former North Charleston officer poses little danger of committing violence. The assessment, by Charleston-area psychologist Dr. Leonard Mulbry Jr., concluded that Slager has no criminal history, is mentally stable and has no history of physical violence outside his work as a policeman. The report found Slager “to be at very low risk of future violence.” The decision on whether to free Slager on bond rests with a judge. Judges considering bond generally weigh whether a suspect is a risk of committing other crimes or a risk of fleeing, not the person’s guilt or innocence. And some defendants charged with murder in Charleston County have been released on bond. But Slager’s case is unique, said Joe Savitz, a criminal defense attorney in Columbia. “In a case like this, you have got the video tape, which regardless of what he says about what the tape really shows, shows him shooting a man repeatedly in the back,” Savitz said, referring to a bystander’s cellphone video that captured Slager firing eight times as the 50-year-old Scott ran away. “It would take a very courageous judge to let him out under the circumstances. If the judge lets him out, and Charleston just goes up in flames, they’re going to blame the judge. No judge wants to be responsible for additional violence.” Slager, 33, has been in solitary confinement since his arrest. He was fired after the shooting, which inflamed the national debate about how blacks are treated by law officers. Slager faces 30 years to life without parole if convicted of murder. There were no aggravating circumstances such as robbery or kidnapping, so the death penalty doesn’t apply in the case, prosecutor Scarlett Wilson has said. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Scott’s family called for peace, an act some have credited — along with the officer’s speedy arrest — with staving off the protests and violence that have erupted in other cities where black men have died during encounters with police. But, if Slager is released, some community leaders said that could change rapidly, forecasting an uneasy situation that could mean protests. “We cannot continue to give grace, we cannot continue to be forgiving, unless we see that the other side of the fence is willing to work along with us, to see things our way,” Thomas Dixon of People United Take Back Our Community said at a news conference Wednesday in front of the jail where Slager is being held. “In the event that there is no grace, I guarantee you, the days of grace in Charleston soon will expire. What’s beyond that, I’m not sure.”

Blogs

MYSTIKAL’S RAPE TRIAL EXTENDED

MYSTIKAL’S RAPE TRIAL EXTENDED

Mystikal was arrested in July 2022 for multiple serious offenses, including Louisiana’s obligatory life sentence for first-degree rape. A court extended Mystikal’s trial to May 19 on Monday (March 17) while the rapper continues to claim innocence. Michael Tyler, known as Mystikal, was arrested at the Ascension Parish Prison on July 30, 2022, for first-degree…

DIDDY TRIAL DEVELOPMENT

DIDDY TRIAL DEVELOPMENT

A big development is delaying the Diddy trial, which will be the entertainment trial of the century, as he disputes new claims in a revised indictment. After a March 14 pre-trial hearing with Diddy, the trial was rescheduled from May 5 to May 12. The delay gives both parties extra time for jury selection, pre-trial…

9-1-1 NASHVILLE CASTS CHRIS O’DONNELL

9-1-1 NASHVILLE CASTS CHRIS O’DONNELL

Chris O’Donnell is headed back to the small screen to star in the 9-1-1 spinoff series, 9-1-1: Nashville on ABC. We don’t know many plot details yet, but the show will follow first responders in the Tennessee-based city. Chris will play Captain Don Sharpe, who Variety describes as “a rugged fire captain and rodeo rider…

WILL SMITH HAS A NEW ALBUM!

WILL SMITH HAS A NEW ALBUM!

Will Smith announced his new album, Based On A True Story, will be released on March 28, 20 years after his last album. The album features DJ Jazzy Jeff, Teyana Taylor, and Smith’s son Jaden. The tracklist is divided into “episodes” instead of songs. He also recently revealed that he and Prince discussed launching an…