A judge has ordered the suspect charged in the murder of Mollie Tibbetts to be jailed on a $5 million cash-only bond.
Magistrate Judge Diane Crookham-Johnson granted a state prosecutor’s request to raise the bond amount for Cristhian Bahena Rivera from one million to five million dollars.
Assistant attorney general Scott Brown noted that Rivera is suspected of being in the country illegally, and is charged with a “heinous crime.”
He says the higher bond amount would protect the community.
Rivera’s lawyer, Allan Richards, said he plans to ask for a bond review hearing at a later date.
He said Rivera is a young man who has no prior criminal history and has worked for a prominent local farmer for years.
Richards claims the government is wrong in its statements that Rivera is in the country illegally.
Richards stated in a court document filed Wednesday that an employer has said Rivera is in the U.S. legally.
Craig Lang is co-owner of a dairy that employed Rivera and the Lang family said in a statement Tuesday that Rivera’s immigration status had been confirmed by an E-Verify electronic immigration status check.
THE COMPANY IS NOW WALKING BACK THAT STATEMENT.
DANE LANG OF YARRABEE FARMS NOW SAYS THEY INSTEAD USED A CROSS-CHECK THROUGH SOCIAL SECURITY TO CHECK THE IDENTITY OF PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES.
Richards has also asked the judge to not allow TV cameras in the courtroom for Rivera’s first court appearance:
OC……….that he isn’t. ;16
Richards asked the court to prevent the government from claiming Rivera is in the country illegally.
OC…….evidence is presented. :17
Richards also says comments by President Donald Trump about Rivera will “poison the entire possible pool of jury members.”
Audio courtesy CBS News
