Bond reduction denied for Williams

<p class="p1">A last-minute judge change appeared to have little effect on the London Williams proceedings during a case management conference on Aug. 18.

<p class="p1">Williams, 26, has been charged with first-degree murder in the June 22 stabbing death of 26-year-old T.J. Michael, of Chester.

<p class="p1">Williams and his attorney, Justin Kuehn, were back in Randolph County Court to argue a motion to reduce Williams's bond from $1 million to $100,000.

<p class="p1">"We think reasonable bond would be $100,000 with 10 percent applied so we can fight this case from the outside and he can see his children," Kuehn said.

<p class="p1">Williams, who was stated to have three children - a 2-year-old, 1-year-old and one-month old - has been incarcerated at Randolph County Jail since being arrested at his home in Rockwood the day of the incident.

<p class="p1">"This might be the first first-degree murder case that I've heard where the method was in dispute, but the facts are not," Kuehn said.

<p class="p1">While rehashing some of his July 29 preliminary hearing arguments, Kuehn alleged that Circuit Court Judge Richard A. Brown, who presided over that hearing, may not have had a full understanding of those facts when the bond was set.

<p class="p1">Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker refuted that argument, saying that he drove down to Chester at 4 a.m. that day and watched all the witness interviews prior to the bond hearing.

<p class="p1">"The one thing we agree upon is London Williams killed T.J. Michael," Walker said, referring to Kuehn.

<p class="p1">Kuehn highlighted statements from "neutral witnesses" who saw Michael punch Williams six times in the head and Williams did not fight back.

<p class="p1">Williams then retreated to his car, while being allegedly pursued by Michael and Donnie Weaver - whom Williams was originally going to fight after an argument about Weaver's drug habits at Bernasek's Bar and Grill in Chester - and retrieved a knife from the vehicle.

<p class="p1">"Mr. Michael said 'Oh, you gonna cut me now?" Kuehn said. "Williams said 'If you come at me, that's what I'm gonna do.'"

<p class="p1">Kuehn said Williams issued warnings to the pair "until the very end."

<p class="p1">"He was trying to avoid violence, not engage in it," Kuehn said.

<p class="p1">Kuehn argued that Williams wasn't looking to kill someone that night and a bond of $1 million usually involves premeditated murder.

<p class="p1">"He wasn't the initial aggressor, everybody says that," Kuehn said.

<p class="p1">Kuehn said Michael lunged at Williams and as a result, suffered two stab wounds to the front, which is consistent with a person coming at you.

<p class="p1">Walker highlighted that alleged lunge during his arguments, stating that Michael was leaning forward with his arms behind his back and not punching.

<p class="p1">Walker also stated that he had seen the lunge on closed-circuit TV.

<p class="p1">Walker argued that the bond was properly set and "anything less would be a miscarriage of justice." He also seemed to indicate Williams might be a flight risk with a lower bond.

<p class="p1">"What would you do if you got out on $100,000 bond?" Walker asked Gross. "I'd run like hell."

<p class="p1">After hearing the arguments from both sides, Associate Circuit Court Judge Gene Gross denied the motion.

<p class="p1">"I believe Judge Brown did possess all the info to set the bond in this matter," Gross said.

<p class="p1">Gross noted that first-degree murder "is the most serious of offenses."

<p class="p1">"This man lost his life," he said.

<p class="p1">Gross later said he trusted Judge Brown and his wisdom in setting the original bond.

<p class="p1">Gross was reassigned to the case after Kuehn filed a motion for substitution of judge early last week.

<p class="p1">Chief Judge C. John Baricevic originally re-assigned the case to St. Clair County Associate Judge Christopher T. Kolker, who is a traveling judge who hears cases in Randolph County about once a month.

<p class="p1">Baricevic apparently changed his mind late afternoon of Aug. 17 and assigned Gross to replace Brown.

<p class="p1">The parties will have a case management conference on Sept. 21 in anticipation of an Oct. 24 trial.