An Illinois man who allegedly made threats against a St. Louis judge is now out of jail on bond after almost six weeks in the city jail.
After a hearing this morning, Erick Buntyn was allowed out of the City Justice Center so long as he posts $1,000 and submits to GPS monitoring. His defense attorney says that option should have been made available much sooner.
On March 8, the 34-year-old Buntyn was in court when Daniel Riley was found guilty of causing the car crash that led to an out-of-town athlete, Janae Edmondson, having both legs amputated. Allegedly overcome with emotion, police say Buntyn went out into the hall and yelled, "Fuck the judge and the jury. They are all racists. If I see any of them outside, I’m going to fucking kill them."
He was arrested later that day and subsequently denied bond late last month, much to the consternation of his attorney Jerryl Christmas. Christmas argued that his client had merely had an emotional outburst — and pointed to the case of Monte Henderson, an alleged reckless driver accused of killing a mother and daughter in February, but who was then allowed out of jail to wait for his trial on house arrest.
"We've got people who have committed serious felonies, assault first, assault second, who are walking around out on bond," Christmas said. "You can't make it make sense."
Because Judge Michael Noble is the alleged victim in the case, a judge from St. Charles County presided over that March bond hearing.
However, prior to this morning's hearing, Christmas requested a new judge and got Judge Joe Rathert of Jefferson County.
"He was reasonable," Christmas says.
In addition to the $1,000 and the GPS monitoring, Buntyn is forbidden from entering the courthouse in the city except for matters involving his own case.
Christmas says that condition won't be an issue. "He doesn't want to come to the courthouse. Period," the attorney says.
Christmas says that Buntyn is adamant he didn't say what he's accused of saying, but that even if someone did say those things, they shouldn't be charged with a felony, which Christmas says is "overkill."
"That is a peace disturbance," says Christmas.
Christmas added that he's willing to take the matter to trial, if need be. He's also in the process of requesting transcripts of the March 8 hearing trying to figure out if, prior to the jury reading their verdict, Judge Noble told all those gathered that if they were going to get emotional to please do so out in the hallway.
Buntyn does have a warrant out for his arrest in Illinois. But Christmas says that warrant is for a failure to appear at a court hearing on the other side of the river. Buntyn couldn't make it to the hearing because he was in jail in St. Louis. Christmas says it won't be hard to clear that up.
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