A Texas teen accused of murder was released from police custody after his bond was drastically reduced from $800,000 to $100 per charge.
Stephon Martin Morson, 19, was released from the Travis County Jail in Austin, Texas, on Saturday after he posted bail.
Morson is accused in the shooting death of 20-year-old Keshawn Cage, who police found with a gunshot wound to the head back in October.
The Travis County Jail told Fox News Digital that Morson was booked on Nov. 6, 2024, and charged with murder and tamper/fabricate physical evidence.
During a recent special session, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick expressed support for Governor Abbott in pushing for bail reform. Patrick emphasized the importance of preventing violent offenders from being released on bail and stated his readiness to use tough tactics to achieve this goal.
A bail reform package is currently making its way through the state legislature, with Patrick actively advocating for its passage. He emphasized the need to keep violent offenders behind bars and highlighted the potential risks associated with releasing them on bond.
Significant progress was made last Wednesday when the Senate Criminal Justice Committee approved the bail reform bills. The committee’s unanimous 6-0 vote marked an important step forward in the legislative process towards implementing reforms to the bail system in Texas.
“I’m grateful that Gov. Abbott declared bail reform an emergency item for the current legislative session. Too many innocent people, both citizens and law enforcement officers, have become targets of criminals due to irresponsible bail amounts that allow violent criminals to go free,” Bullock said. “We are a nation of law and order, but activist judges and prosecutors that are interested in their own agenda rather than the law are eroding that principle.”
Crime victims’ advocates in Texas have been trying to get tougher bail legislation on the books for years, especially in certain cases involving egregious crimes. In years past, many criminal offenders in Harris County were released on low bond or no bond at all, with some going on to reoffend, sometimes violently, according to Rania Mankarious, the CEO of Crime Stoppers of Houston.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected]
