Takeoff’s alleged killer, Patrick Xavier Clark, could be home in just a few days.
According to reports, Clark’s attorney has filed for another bond reduction. The Eighth Amendment’s Constitutional protections against “excessive bail,” as well as the federal Bail Reform Act, give a defendant the right to request lower bail when the amount initially set by the court is too high to pay and would effectively be a denial of bail and order of pretrial detention. Clark’s bond was initially set at $2 million and then reduced to $1 million. His legal team is attempting another reduction at around $300,000. Should the judge grant this reduction, Clark will be home before the New Year. Furthermore, Clark will be instructed to turn in his passport upon his potential release. He will be assigned a GPS monitoring device that will immediately notify authorities if bond conditions are violated.
A bail bondsman stated during the hearing on Tuesday that Clark’s family has already put up their Texas home as collateral.
Typically, a judge sets the initial bond or bail at an amount based on the severity of the alleged crime, whether the defendant poses a flight risk if released, and whether the defendant poses a risk to the community if released. The judge can also look at additional factors, such as the defendant’s character, physical and mental condition, family and community ties, and financial resources.
In this case, there are concerns regarding Clark and his bond reduction application. Clark was arrested with his passport and tickets to Mexico, making him a flight risk in the eyes of the court. Clark’s request to hire a private investigator was approved, and this same investigator reported to the court that the tickets to Mexico had been canceled a few days before Clark’s arrest.
The chances of getting a bond reduction depend on several factors, including the defendant’s current charges, past criminal history, financial resources, and character. The ability and skills of a defendant’s defense attorney will also make a big difference. Ultimately, judges decide these matters on a case-by-case basis, so it’s not a statistic easily reduced to a number.
Takeoff, whose real name was Kirsnick Khari Ball, was killed over an alleged dice game outside Houston’s 810 Billiards and Bowling Alley on November 1st. A subsequent bond hearing for Clark is set for Wednesday morning.
