Judge refuses lower bond for father accused of beating, burning son

A judge Monday refused to reduce the bond of a Jackson County man accused of beating, burning and critically injuring his 3-year-old son.

But Circuit Judge Robert Krebs had a few things to say before he told Nathan Blake McCrory his bond will remain at $200,000.

McCrory already had posted bail on the $100,000 original bond from two charges of felony child abuse. When a grand jury indicted him on two additional charges, another $100,000 was added. That was the reduction in bond that he was seeking Monday. Bail is 10 percent of the bond, which is set to ensure a defendant makes his court appearances..

The judge first addressed a ruling in January that allowed McCrory to remain on bond after Assistant District Attorney Angel Myers filed a motion to revoke his bond for violating the conditions of his release.

There was public outcry on social media after the ruling, criticizing the judge for allowing McCrory to keep a bond and stay out of jail.

“The public does not understand that the courts can only make decisions based on the best information they have before them,” Krebs said. “Judges cannot ethically do research on their own. What comes to them has to come from the lawyers.”

In the initial motion to revoke bond, Jackson County prosecutors did not include a copy of any protection order in place or other information about previous incidents involving McCrory and the mother of his daughter.

“If there is a restraining order, it is certainly not before the court,” he said. “The court cannot ethically go to the Chancery Court to get a copy of the protection order. A judge should not have to read a newspaper (to get that information.)”

The Sun Herald reviewed public records to report on McCrory’s previous run-ins with the law and the protection order.

In the motion, the prosecutor wrote about the violations and provided a GPS record that showed McCrory had repeatedly gone by his former girlfriend’s home that she shares with their daughter, a witness in the case.

On Monday, McCrory’s attorney, James Farrior, asked the judge to lower the remaining $100,000 bond, saying a total bond of $200,000 seemed excessive because McCrory is wearing a steel tracking device that requires him to stay at his home. Farrior also said McCrory has lived in Jackson County his entire life and prosecutors did not indicate he was flight risk.

The judge did not reduce the bond.

McCrory was first arrested in April after Jackson County deputies responded to a report of suspected child abuse of Zander Saucier at Singing River Hospital. The boy was then airlifted to USA Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Mobile with critical injuries. Zander has since recovered physically.

Zander’s mother, Emily Saucier, and other family members attended Monday’s hearing, but did not wish to comment. McCrory’s family also showed up to support him.

This story was originally published February 13, 2017 at 9:46 AM with the headline "Judge refuses lower bond for father accused of beating, burning son."