Dallas-area leaders to evaluate bond process after double murder at Texas A&M Commerce
DALLAS - The Dallas City Council received an alarming update from police on Monday about a recent warrant roundup.
The department said of the 70 people arrested, 25 have already been released and some of them had prior felonies on their records.
"As I look at this, it's frightening,” said Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Adam McGough.
In an interview with FOX4 on Friday, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot spoke about the problem, saying he has called a meeting of the presiding municipal judges to talk about the importance of having all of the information about an offender when setting bond -- keeping Dallas' most violent offenders behind bars.
"The DA, Creuzot, is actively working on trying to develop a system, trying to make sure...the magistrates that are setting the bonds have enough information,” said Assistant Chief David Pughes.
One week ago, Abbaney Matts and her sister, Deja, were gunned down on the campus of Texas A&M Commerce.
The week before the murders, Matts' ex-boyfriend, Jacques Smith, got out of jail on a $15,000 bond sent by a magistrate judge in Garland after Smith allegedly beat her with a lamp, TV and frying pan, according to police. The affidavit states that he told her he would kill her.
Smith is now charged with capital murder in her death.
Records show Smith has a history of assault, and was even on probation -- yet he was able to bond out of jail.
“We just had a gross failure of the system,” said Dallas County Commissioner JJ Koch.
Koch agrees that the DA and judges need to meet and make sure this does not happen again.
“That's an instance where we just have to be so, so good at catching people in that net when they're in our hands. There is just no excuse of someone who is that evil,” Koch said.
According to the DA, judges see an offender's criminal history when deciding a bond amount, but might not receive all the specifics of the crime they are accused of, unless they contact the DA's office, or a prosecutor is present.
“We need to make sure that we're using the resources we have, in a wise fashion, to protect our citizens. We're not,” Koch said.
McGough spoke Monday, concerned about the issue, as Dallas is working to decrease violent crime.
"The folks that are already committing violent crimes and have violent crimes on their record are more likely to commit violent crimes, and that's the issue we're dealing with more than anything else right now, so until we address this, I don't know that much of what we're doing has a substantial impact,” McGough said.