PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia judge on Monday dismissed a request from prosecutors to increase the bail set for the woman accused of helping two incarcerated men escape from the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center. At Xianni Stallings’ bail hearing, authorities disclosed more details about how the escape was planned.
Handcuffed, Stallings appeared before Judge John Padova. The District Attorney’s Office had asked that her set bail be doubled, to $1 million, with house arrest.
They say the 21-year-old former home health aid called her friend Ameen Hurst twice while he was behind bars to plan how they would get him out. She patched Michael Abrams into their call and discussed how Abrams would “pick up” Hurst and Nasir Grant outside the jail around 7:30 the night of their escape.
Prosecutors say she also arranged for Hurst to be taken from North Philadelphia to South Philadelphia, but she would not go into more detail.
Hurst faces 4 murder and two attempted murder charges, and a slew of gun offenses.
Stallings’ record included theft charges — and prosecutors argued that, because she helped in Hurst’s and Grant’s escape, her bail should be $1 million, like the rest of the defendants.
Her attorney argued that she has a limited income, she has no job now, and she has no resources to pay 10% of a half-million, let alone 10% of a million.
Padova told prosecutors that the law states every defendant must have a reasonable bail set for them, unless it’s murder, and judges have to weigh whether they’re a danger to society. Concluding that, since Stallings has a non-violent record and isn’t considered a danger to society, her half-million-dollar bail will remain. And if she should be able to pay 10% of it, she would be under house arrest.
A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for next week. It is likely to be postponed until next month.
Related
Related
