A bond hearing Thursday for a 31-year-old Hutchinson man arrested in connection with a shooting incident back on February 26 went into recess to determine if the hearing should be closed to the media and the public. The Attorney for Justin Gleason, Kelly Driscoll made that argument to Magistrate Judge Randy McEwen because of fear that any reporting by Eagle Radio and the Hutch Post over recorded phone calls the defendant made to those outside the jail would prejudice any potential jury pool.
According to what the state put fourth regarding those calls, the recordings of the defendant indicate that he may have had plans on how to deal with witnesses in the cases against him, if he ever got out. Those recordings apparently put together from the Reno County Jail by Hutchinson Police Detective Tyson Meyers. Senior Assistant District Attorney Steve Maxwell told the court that the calls were between Gleason and Holly Caudillo, but also other unidentified individuals.
The judge recessed the hearing to look over the statutes for closing a hearing, and the came back and stated he couldn’t do that with out giving others proper notice, but he did allow the defense to file a motion in the matter, and he would reconsider it. Judge McEwen the recessed the hearing for a later date.
All this came while Driscoll was arguing over whether Gleason’s bond should remain at 616-thousand dollars. She called the bond “extremely excessive.” She wanted it lowered to 80-thousand which she says matched the bonding schedule for the county, or at the very least 250-thousand. She says he has no prior person felonies, and says the bonds for those accused of murder are lower, as well as those looking at life sentences for child sex offenses.
But, Maxwell argued that he thought the bond was at 515-thousand and believes it should stay where it is because of those calls. He called the danger to the community by Gleason, “just immense.” But it was also his criminal history that includes numerous convictions involving the distribution of drugs in Oklahoma.
He also stated that one of the victims in these cases is in fear of his life, so much so, he was afraid to appear in court Thursday, instead writing a letter to the judge over his concerns.
Driscoll was right however on the bond amount. The Reno County Jail log listed the bond total at 616-thousand dollars.
So, when the hearing will resume and whether the media and the public will be excluded is unknown at this point, with the next hearing date expected to be decided on Friday.
Gleason faces seven counts of criminal discharge of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, and one count of aggravated battery, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession or marijuana, no tax stamp, possession of stolen property and possession of drug paraphernalia in one case.
Hutchinson Police were dispatched to the 1100 block of East Avenue C on the report of multiple gunshots. They apparently found several shell casings on the roadway. A search of the area revealed that at 1105 East Avenue C, multiple bullet holes were found in the north side of the home. A short time later, Daniel Coronado arrived at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center by private vehicle with a gunshot wound to his foot. He underwent surgery at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. Five adults and two children where in the residence when the shooting occurred, but they were not injured.
In the other case against Gleason, he faces charges of attempted robbery, attempted aggravated burglary, criminal threat and blackmail, where he allegedly sent text messages to the victim and told him he better have the money, and was coming over to collect. The state alleges he was extorting money from the victim over crack cocaine.
When Gleason showed up at the victims home just after 12:30 a-m on December 15, of last year, police were already aware of what was happening and were there waiting and he was arrested on the charges.
The preliminary hearing for all these cases are set for May 31, but that of course is subject to change.