CLEARWATER, Fla. — A judge denied the request to lower the $100,000 bond of the man at the center of the Clearwater 'stand your ground' case.
The attorneys of Michael Drejka, the 47-year-old who is charged with manslaughter after admitting to fatally shooting Markeis McGlockton, 28, over a handicap parking spot in July, said in court that he has sat in jail for more than a week because he can't afford the $100,000 bond.
Lysa Clifton, John Trevena and Bryant Camareno submitted a three-page motion which stated Drejka's not a danger to himself, the victim's family or others.
However, previous incidents were laid out in his arrest warrant. The warrant listed two previous road rage incidents where Drejka pulled a gun on the victims. Just a month before the July shooting, Drejka argued with a man about the same handicap spot at the same convenience store where he shot McGlockton.
Prosecutors said during that incident, Drejka not only said racial slurs to the tanker truck driver but also called the man's company to tell them how their employee had parked the vehicle in the handicap spot. They said while on the phone with the owner Drejka told them, "I could have blown his head off."
"The $100K bond is more than fair," prosecutors said after describing the incident to Judge Joseph Bulone.
Judge Bulone said: "Everyone is allowed to a reasonable bond." He added that he "did find probable cause and reviewed everything including the lack of prior convictions." The judge denied the motion to lower Drejka's bond.
"It is certainly within the parameters within the bond schedule. The court could later decide it could be higher than that," Judge Bulone said.
The denial not only rejected the request for a lower bond but also Drejka's attorney's request for him to not wear a GPS monitoring device had he been given bail.
A speedy trial and arraignment were waived by Drejka's attorneys.
Drejka's pre-trial has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 19 at 1:30 p.m.
The case has sparked a nationwide debate about Florida's stand your ground law. Initially, Drejka was not arrested following the shooting under the stand your ground law.
