Several bonds were recently lowered in three different matters where an individual was killed.
The first occurred in 13th Judicial District Judge Chuck West’s courtroom and was the result of a bond hearing for Brandon Perkins.
Perkins was arrested in June of this year following an incident where DeLanzo Veal was shot and killed during a event on Joe Fontenot Rd.
This was the second bond hearing for Perkins, who was originally being held on a $1,000,000.00 bond. On November 15th the defendant’s bond was lowered to $250,000.00.
During the first bond hearing, Judge West denied Perkins’ attorney Brian Kee’s request for a lowered bond.
It was also brought to light during Perkins’ first bond hearing that there was a recorded interview of the one eyewitness from when he told investigators he saw Perkins shoot Veal. The recording is in the possession of the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office, which is the agency investigating this crime.
It was ordered that the recording be turned over to the Evangeline Parish District Attorney’s Office and the defense counsel.
Since the first bond hearing, the one eyewitness has passed away, making the recording in this case more valuable then ever.
When the second bond hearing rolled around, the recording had not yet been produced.
According to Kee, his client’s bond was lowered “because detectives failed to comply with the judge’s order to timely produce audio tapes and other evidence.”
Two other bond reductions occurred in 13th Judicial District Court Judge Gary Ortego’s courtroom on Monday.
The two defendants who received lowered bonds were John Isaac Foret and Marla Rushing.
The bond hearing was the second for Foret, who was arrested in May for second degree murder following an incident where Foret shot and killed a man in Turkey Creek.
Foret was originally being held without bond, until Judge Ortego ruled the defendant’s bond be set at $250,000 during the first bond hearing.
While out on bond, Foret, who is being represented by attorneys Mike Small and Jacob Fusilier, violated the conditions of his bond and ultimately found himself back in jail in September.
He was being held without bond until Monday when Foret’s bond was ordered to be set at $150,000.00.
In the Marla Rushing matter, the 28-year-old Evangeline Parish female’s bond was originally set at $755,000 after she was arrested for vehicular homicide, which occurred while the defendant was driving under the influence of alcohol.
The incident occurred back in September of this year in the Reddell area and resulted in the death of a pedestrian Rushing struck with her vehicle while traveling north on La. 3149.
During her bond hearing, Judge Ortego reduced Rushing’s bond to $180,000.
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ELIZABETH WEST Managing Editor