BOZEMAN — New developments out of District Court Wednesday — Gallatin County District Judge John Brown reduced the bond for Joshua Blair from $500,000 to $25,000.
Blair is being accused of multiple felonies, including tampering with evidence and criminal mischief.
He was arrested at the beginning of May, along with three other people and is accused of traveling from Florida to Montana to commit a spree of crimes such as breaking into and stealing from vehicles.
MTN News was in the courtroom Wednesday, where we heard from the judge and others, who supported the judge's decision.
"They're serious. They're felonies, but I think $25,000 bail is reasonable, and that's the amount I'm going to set. That also takes into consideration Mr. Blair's criminal history. He has none. He does have a family to support," said Judge Brown.
"I'm glad to see that the bond was reduced. I think it's not necessarily a crime of innocence, whether or not he was involved in the crime. But more of a question is this fair, and I think that we're definitely to a more fair standard with the bail," said Henry Hardin, a Bozeman resident.
If Blair posts bond, Judge Brown allowed him to return home to his mother's residence in Florida until his trial begins.
