Flores names bill after fatal shooting victim

Marissa Renee Flores

Rep. Marissa Renee Flores (Ind-Saipan) has introduced a bill that is intended to make sure defendants in criminal cases show up in court, while at the same time improving protection of the public and victims of crime.

Flores cited her House Bill 23-33 as “The Keisha King Bail Reform Act.” King was killed on March 12, 2020 when her boyfriend, Gordon Castro, a convicted felon with a substantial criminal history, shot her.

Flores, who chairs the House of Representatives Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee, stated in the legislation that the Keisha King Bail Reform Act narrows the right to bail, imposes stricter conditions for release and applies stronger enforcement of bail conditions.

The bill seeks to amend subsections of Title 6, Division 6, Chapter 4 of the Commonwealth Code pertaining to Right to bail and add a new subsection.

Under the bill, a person arrested for a felony offense may be released on reasonable bail by any judge, provided that the prosecutor is given reasonable opportunity to be heard before any application for bail is granted.

No person shall be released on bail for an offense committed while released on bail or after arrest for violation of a condition of probation that includes an allegation of a new offense. The bill also provides several other bail conditions.

Flores said that when King was kidnapped, Gordon was out on bail on two pending felony drug cases despite the fact that he was on probation for assault with a dangerous weapon.

Flores said that Gordon’s actions resulted in his own death and the death of King.

She said there has been an increase in the number of cases in which criminal defendants with prior convictions and a history of violence have been released on bail without proper supervision or who have committed violations of the conditions of release, including the failure to appear or commission of a new offense, without any substantial consequences.

Flores said Castro had violated the conditions of his probation and had committed two separate felony offenses but was still released on bail.

While out on that bail, Castro committed a violent felony crime, evaded arrest, kidnapped a girlfriend, obtained a firearm from a Department of Corrections officer, and repeatedly fired the weapon at officers.

Flores said criminal defendants with a criminal history or who violate the conditions of their release pose an increased danger to the community.

Flores said her amendments provide for more consistent application of conditions of release and consequences for violation of those conditions.