After Not Guilty Plea, Bail Increased At Alleged Hit-And-Run Driver’s Arraignment
The Davis driver accused of fleeing the scene of an accident, in which he struck a motorcycle rider and then refused the seriously injured victim’s pleas to call an ambulance, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment February 2.
Brian Douglas Cassidy, 58, faces charges of DUI causing injury, hit-and-run, and driving on a suspended license. The charges all are associated with the December 17 collision on Cowell Boulevard in South Davis which splintered Nikolas Kostelny’s right arm.
Cassidy informed Judge Stephen Mock that he could not afford an attorney; Mock assigned the Yolo County Public Defender’s Office to represent him for the time being, until auditors assess Cassidy’s personal finances and determine if he qualifies for the free legal assistance. Meanwhile, Deputy Public Defender David Muller sought to have Cassidy’s bail reduced from $105,000 to release on his own recognizance. Muller noted Cassidy’s lack of any prior felony convictions and his “struggle with bipolor disorder, for which he ‘self-medicates’ with alcohol,” according to a Davis Enterprise report.
“I think Mr. Cassidy would be a good candidate for supervised release,” Muller told Mock, pledging that Cassidy would attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and wear a GPS device so that probation officers could track his movements.
Deputy District Attorney Matt De Moura disagreed, saying Cassidy not only posed a flight risk but, if released from jail, could threaten the public’s safety. Though unspoken at the arraignment, no doubt Cassidy’s comments to Kostelny at the crash site–“Stop yelling at me.…I ain’t calling s—.”–were a factor in the debate at to his fitness for release.
DeMoura also pointed out to Judge Mock that Cassidy is relatively new to Davis and has no significant ties to the community. “He has no reason to stay here,” he said. Then Mock denied the requested release and added $50,000 to Cassidy’s bail amount.
Cassidy will next appear in Judge David Reed’s court on February 17.
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Davis Enterprise: Hit-and-run suspect pleads not guilty, gets bail increased
