A Seattle judge said she empathizes with the mother of a murder suspect and explained that she has received death threats over some of her bail decisions regarding suspects of violent crimes.
King County Superior Court Judge Johanna Bender's remarks came during a case that put the spotlight on the ongoing debate about the criminal justice system's approach to bail.
K'Shawn Jimerson, 20, was charged with second-degree murder over allegations he fatally stabbed handyman and military veteran Michael Gray, 65, in the back with a large kitchen knife, according to Fox 13.
Renton Police said Jimerson was seen on surveillance video striking Gray twice from behind with a broom stick. Gray then turned and followed Jimerson into the home where Jimerson is accused of stabbing him twice. Jimerson claimed self-defense during a 911 call, but police said the video and the wounds in Gray's back and side show that was not the case.
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King County District Court Judge Michele Gehlsen initially set Jimerson's bail amount at $50,000 during his first court hearing, according to Fox 13. The decision surprised many in the community, including law enforcement leaders who believed it did not reflect the gravity of the crime.
"Our community deserves to be protected from a suspect who commits these violent acts," Renton Police Chief Jon Schuldt said in a statement after Jimerson was released from jail.
Just days later, prosecutors formally charged Jimerson with second-degree murder and requested his bail be bumped up to $2 million.
During a hearing on Oct. 3 to address prosecutors' request to increase his bail, Bender asked the courtroom if anyone wanted to speak on the issue. Jimerson's mother approached the bench and requested that the media not be allowed to show her son's face over concerns about "vigilante justice," Fox 13 reported.
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"People want to take matters into their own hands and attack my child," Jimerson’s mother said. "I feel like he’s being tried before he even had the opportunity to have a trial."
Bender then expressed empathy for Jimerson's mother and spoke about her frustrations with death threats she has received over decisions she makes in a courtroom.
"This hearing is not about me, but I will share with you that I often get death threats based on the decisions that I made," Bender told Jimerson's mother. "Which is equally frustrating to me because I'm trying to do my job, and it should not be the responsibility of any member of the public to threaten my life because I am trying to uphold the law. So, I am very empathetic to the situation that the family finds themselves in, having experienced it themselves, and I understand personally how frightening and disruptive it is all the more so while navigating this incredibly traumatic time for your family."
"I am just doing my job, you're dealing with a crisis," the judge continued. "That's a huge difference and one for which I am very empathetic. I will also take this opportunity to editorialize, that I hope the press takes seriously their obligation to tell the stories of what happens in our courtroom in a fair and unbiased way and takes every reasonable editorial action to not stir up public sentiment for revenge."
Bender ruled that the media could show Jimerson's face because the surveillance video had already been broadcast in the media. She increased his bail to $500,000 instead of prosecutors' request of $2 million.
Other decisions made by Bender that have been criticized by victims and their families include her decision in July to set bail at $50,000 for a man who allegedly shot a grandmother multiple times at an ATM in front of the woman's granddaughter.
In February, Bender lowered the bail of an accused accomplice in a double murder from $1 million to $20,000. The victims' family members slammed the decision, saying: "Nobody is safe, you know, if he's out. $20,000 bail is not enough to protect people."