Pierce County judge had a wide range to work with Thursday as she considered adjusting the bail for one of six people charged with aiding cop killer Maurice Clemmons. Superior Court Judge Stephanie Arend decided to set Quiana Maylea Williams’ bail at $150,000. The judge said some bail was warranted for Williams, who is charged with five counts of first-degree rendering criminal assistance for allegedly helping Clemmons, 37, after he shot Lakewood police Sgt. Mark Renninger, 39; and officers Tina Griswold, 40; Greg Richards, 42; and Ronald Owens, 37.
Prosecutors contend Williams, who claimed to be a friend of Clemmons, took the killer to her home in Seattle after the Nov. 29 shooting at a Parkland coffee shop, helped treat his wounds and let him do laundry. She’s pleaded not guilty. The community has “legitimate concerns” that Williams is a flight risk given the nature of the charges and the potential 25-year prison sentence she faces if convicted as charged, Arend said. At the same time, the judge said, Williams is a longtime Puget Sound-area resident with no criminal history. She also allowed authorities to search her home and car without a warrant. It remained to be seen if Williams could come up with the $15,000 to hire a bail bond company. Mosley her attorney had asked Arend to release Williams on her own recognizance or, at most, set bail at $5,000. He argued the $1 million bail Superior Court Judge Thomas Larkin set at Williams’ arraignment was excessive.
“None of the factors apply to my client,” he said. “She has absolutely no criminal history. As far as I can tell she doesn’t even have a traffic ticket.” Prosecuting Attorney Mark Lindquist argued the $1 million bail stay in place. He contended Williams is a flight risk now that she faces a long prison sentence if convicted. “As being a danger to the community,” he said, “the defendant has already shown herself to be a danger to the community when she gave transportation, a hiding place and medical aid to a man who murdered four Lakewood police officers – Maurice Clemmons, a man who said he was not done killing yet.” Lindquist also dismissed Williams’ cooperation with authorities as “too little, too late.” “Under the facts and circumstances of this exceptional case, $1 million bail is not unconstitutionally excessive,” he said.
Personally I believe the bail is excessive, I also believe that at the time she probably was just worried about helping her friend not even knowing he was a cop killer. She should not be held accountable for something she probably knew nothing about. The 8th Amendent does protect the government from applying excessive bail and since she did not aid and abet in the crime she should not be fined that heavily, unless they have evidence against her.
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