SPOKANE, Wash. — Sheriff John Nowels says he is frustrated by the decision to release former Fred Meyer employee 35-year-old Daniel Silva without bond. Silva allegedly attacked a coworker with a handsaw. Sherrif Nowels says the frustration goes far beyond the bounds of his office.
“I think there is a sense of frustration, not just on my part, I promise you, the public, who is paying attention to this issue, they are as frustrated as we are,” said Sherrif Nowels.
Prosecutors asked for a $250,000 bond for Silva, stating this was a violent act and he may pose a threat to the public. However, whether to hold someone in jail or not, judges must consider a wide range of criteria.
Some of the factors they are required to weigh are: the accused’s criminal history, their ties to the community, their current financial state, and, of course, the current crime they are accused of committing.
Representative Marcus Riccelli says that if public safety continues to be a risk in cases like these, amendments to the criteria may need to be considered, “if this, it’s the rubric is the issue, then I think that’s a policy intervention that we need to take a look at.”
Representative Jenny Graham says she believes in the rehabilitation of some offenders but the safety of victims and the public needs to be at the forefront of these decisions.
“That pendulum has swung way, way too far the other way. And, you know, that’s why I see this work so important as, again, to try to bring it back to a reasonable common sense center. We’re never going to find perfect, it doesn’t exist. But I do believe, you know, I know in my heart, that we can do better,” said Representative Graham.
Sheriff Nowels echoed this perspective, “I think that over time, it has become fashionable for them to interpret those rules more in favor of the defendant than it is over public safety. And I think there’s some room for them to do better.”
However, despite his differing opinions to this bail hearing, the sheriff said he believes the criteria being used is not the problem, “I think when you ever leave interpretation of something up to humans, you’re going to get a wide range of opinions on what that rubric means.”
Silva is set to appear in court on October 4th and faces two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of malicious mischief.
