As authorities continue the search for the last two inmates still on the run after a brazen, 10-man jailbreak at the Orleans Parish Justice Center earlier this month, a reported 14 people accused of aiding the escapees are behind bars, many with the million-dollar bonds typically reserved for homicide suspects or defendants with lengthy and violent criminal histories.
Still on the run as of Wednesday were convicted killer Derrick Groves, 27, and Antoine Massey, 32, who is facing charges including kidnapping, rape, domestic abuse battery and auto theft, according to authorities.
Ten of the suspects jailed as either principals or accessories to the escape have bonds set at least $1 million, with two defendants being held on $2.5 million bonds, according to court records.
"These are unprecedented bail amounts," said Rafael Goyeneche, president of the New Orleans Metropolitan Crime Commission. "It’s reflective of the danger that the escapees, that all of these people who aided them, pose to the community and to the criminal justice system."
But some critics say the bonds are excessive and go against fundamental, constitutional rights. None of those arrested have made bond.
"These bonds are absolutely ridiculous," said Michael Kennedy, an attorney representing Sterling Williams, a maintenance worker at the New Orleans jail accused of shutting off the water to the inmates' pod, allowing them to create their escape route by ripping a toilet away from a wall.
“We all know a normal second-degree murder in Orleans Parish carries a bond of $500,000. But the jail plumber is expected to make a $1.1 million bond?” Kennedy said.
Aiding the escape
Williams was booked with malfeasance in office and 10 counts of being a principal to simple escape. Kennedy has said Williams didn't know about the escape plan and believed he was simply fixing a clogged toilet. He is one of two suspects accused of directly helping the May 16 breakout.
Inmate Trevon Williams also faces 10 counts as a principal to simple escape and has a $2.5 million bond. Authorities say he gave his fugitive pod mates a blanket and shirt to use in their scramble over the facility's razor wire fence.
The other suspect with a $2.5 million bond is Cortnie Harris, 32. She's accused of picking up escapees Leo Tate, her boyfriend, and Jermaine Donald and transporting them to multiple locations, authorities said.
Connie Weeden, a 59-year-old woman accused of giving money to Donald, her reported grandson, was being held on a $100,000 bond at the St. Tammany Parish jail, court records said.
Bonds have not yet been set for Daishanae Massey, sister of Antoine Massey or Massey's girlfriend, a 21-year-old woman booked with being a principal to aggravated escape and obstruction of justice.
The Times-Picayune is not naming the woman because she is also the victim of alleged domestic violence at Massey's hands that left her hospitalized.
There has also been no bond set yet for Lenika Vanburen, sister of apprehended escapee Lenton Vanburen Jr.
The remainder of the alleged accomplices have $1 million bonds.
Ensuring appearances
The Louisiana Attorney General's Office handled the bond hearings before Orleans Parish magistrate commissioners for all of the suspects arrested by State Police, according to the agency.
Asked if prosecutors pushed for high bail, Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement, "That's up to each individual judge to set the bond amount. All of them will have their day in court."
New Orleans defense attorney Gregory Carter is not representing any of the suspects arrested thus far in connection with the jailbreak. But he said the bail amounts seem extraordinarily high considering the allegations.
"Bail is to ensure your presence back in court," said Carter, who noted that judges take certain factors into consideration when setting the amount: the weight of the evidence, the danger posed to a community, whether the person is a flight risk and the criminal history of the defendant.
But Goyeneche said he believes the judges were also taking into account the criminal histories of the inmates who escaped.
"I think almost all of them have either active crimes of violence or have crimes of violence in their backgrounds," Goyeneche said.
Indeed, six of the escaped inmates had been charged with murder. Others were facing charges including attempted murder, armed robbery and kidnapping.
Most of the inmates had not yet been to trial and are facing decades to life in prison if convicted, Goyeneche said. It's incentive to remain free.
"And if they want to make sure the cases that were pending against them were no longer viable, there's the potential they could intimidate or threaten or harm victims and witnesses in the case," he said.
Goyeneche called it a "doomsday scenario" that could undermine the public's confidence in the criminal justice system and the sense of trust the community has in law enforcement to keep the peace.
"So, I think that's the reason you're seeing these extremely high bail amounts," he said. "They're sending a message that if anybody assists any of these escapees, this is the type of bail that you can anticipate."
The U.S. Constitution's 8th Amendment protects against excessive bail amounts.
"Bonds should be high enough to confirm that you will return to court and no higher," Kennedy said.
"Pretrial detention is the exception, not the rule. Your liberty should not just be taken from you for no cause, and you should not be held pretrial when you are still resting on the presumption of innocence," Kennedy said.
While Carter said he doesn’t know all of the factors alleged in the cases against the accused accomplices, he said it’s hard to believe those factors weigh so heavily on the side of incarceration that seven-figure bonds are necessary.
There are other ways to ensure a defendant appears in court, including regular check-ins and ankle monitors.
"A bond like that says, 'I don't want you to even dream about getting out of jail until this is over,'" Carter said.
Alleged accomplices arrested thus far:
Accused of aiding in the escape from the jail:
- Trevon B. Williams, 23, booked with 10 counts of being a principal to simple escape with bail set at $2.5 million.
- Sterling Williams, 33, booked with malfeasance in office and 10 counts of being a principal to simple escape with bail set at $1.1 million.
Accused of aiding Leo Tate and/or Jermaine Donald:
- Cortnie Harris, 32, booked with being an accessory after the fact to simple escape with bail set at $2.5 million.
- Casey Smith, 30, booked with accessory after the fact to simple escape with bail set at $1 million.
- Connie Weeden, 59, booked with being an accessory after the fact to simple escape with bail set at $100,000.
Accused of aiding Lenton Vanburen Jr.:
- Lenton J. Vanburen Sr., 48, booked with accessory to simple escape after the fact with bail set at $1 million.
- Patricia Vanburen, 18, booked with accessory after the fact to simple escape with bail set at $1 million.
- Tyshanea Randolph, 27, booked with accessory after the fact to simple escape with bail set at $1 million.
- Angel McKey, 41, booked with accessory after the fact to simple escape with bail set at $1 million.
- Lenika Vanburen, 28, booked with accessory after the fact to simple escape. No bond information available.
Accused of aiding Antoine Massey, who is still at large:
- 21-year-old woman booked with being a principal to aggravated escape and obstruction of justice. No bond information available.
- Daishanae Massey, 31, booked with being an accessory after the fact to simple escape. No bond information available.
Accused of aiding Corey Boyd:
- Corvanntay Baptiste, 38, booked with being an accessory after the fact to simple escape with bail set at $1 million.
Accused of aiding two unnamed inmates:
- Emmitt Weber, 28, booked with being an accessory after the fact to simple escape, with bail set at $1 million.
Times-Picayune reporter Missy Wilkinson contributed to this report.
