A Davidson County Criminal Court Judge has called for an evidentiary hearing to address the circumstances that led to the release of Bricen Rivers, who was later charged with the murder of a woman he was previously jailed for assaulting, according to WSMV4. During the scheduled hearing on August 15, representatives from Brooke's Bail Bonding and On Time Bonding will need to provide documents and testimony about the bond, bond conditions, and release of Rivers. Rivers, who was required to stay in Davidson County and wear an ankle monitor as part of his release terms, allegedly returned to Mississippi and murdered Lauren Johansen.
Nashville judges, having spotted potential "irregularities" surrounding Rivers' June 24th release from jail and his subsequent arrest for the murder of Johansen, want to understand how the bonding companies were involved. NewsChannel 5 reports these companies could face suspension or even lose the ability to write bonds in Davidson County based on the findings from the hearing, which could also include potential criminal liability.
Assertions by Brooke Harlan of Brooke’s Bail Bonding that the company wasn’t aware of Rivers' bond conditions contrast with documented signatures on the bond agreements, as revealed by FOX 17 News. A parole officer discovered June 28th Rivers’ noncompliance due to a missed appointment with the required GPS tracking service. Freedom Monitoring, another involved entity, has since been unreachable, and its contact number has been disconnected. Both Brooke's Bail Bonding and On Time Bonding have been scrutinized for their role in Rivers' monitored release failure, with the latter declining to comment on the issue.
The matter deepens with the involvement of Judge Cheryl Blackburn, who initially reduced Rivers’ bond and is part of the six-judge panel presiding over the upcoming hearing, set to explore the accountability of these bond companies detailed by FOX 17, potential suspension or shutdown of the businesses hang in the balance. Consequentially, the outcome might serve as an object lesson for the industry about adhering to court-mandated conditions for the accused parties they assist. Rivers himself faces a preliminary trial for the homicide on July 31 at the Gulfport Justice Court in Harrison County.
