HOUSTON – Bond has been lowered for Patrick Xavier Clark, the 33-year-old man charged in the murder of Migos rapper Takeoff, Judge Josh Hill ordered Wednesday.
Clark is accused in the Nov. 1 fatal shooting of the Atlanta rapper, whose real name was Kirsnick Kari Ball, and was arrested a month later.
Clark’s initial bond was set at $2,000,000 but his legal team argued that amount was excessive. They filed a motion Tuesday asking for the bond to be reduced to $100,000. That request was declined; however, the new bond has been reduced to $1,000,000. One of the conditions of the order requires Clark to wear a GPS monitor that can be monitored in real time by the court and law enforcement.
The motion, which was filed by “attorneys on record” Letitia D. Quinones and Carl A. Moore, lays out a number of issues they would like to be taken into consideration.
Clark was identified by authorities as the triggerman who fired the fatal shots outside a downtown Houston bowling alley that claimed the life of Takeoff, who was an innocent bystander. The victim was part of the Grammy-winning group, which also includes family members Quavo and Offset. According to celebritynetworth.com, the megastar’s net worth was an estimated $26 million at the time of his death at the age of 28.
Money is one of the key issues noted in the reduction request.
According to the motion filed by Clark’s attorneys, Census data shows the accused killer’s family lives in a county where the median income is $65,000, therefore they can’t afford to pay bonding agencies the required $200,000 down payment.
The motion outlines, according to data, “it would take four years of income for the average person to raise the 10% cash deposit required to post bond as it is presently set.”
The motion states, due to this reason, the “applicant requests that bond be set at the reasonable amount of $100,000, which is comparable to other defendants similarly situated in Harris County.”
When Clark was taken into custody on Dec. 2, authorities found a passport, a Mexican itinerary and large amount of cash, which led them to believe he was possibly planning to flee the country. His attorneys said that was not the case.
According to the motion filed for the bond reduction, Clark’s legal team attempted to illustrate why he should be freed on the lowered amount, listing a number of reasons, including:
- Clark has resided in Harris County his entire life and has resided in the same home in which he was born 33 years ago
- Is currently a student at Houston Community College
- Currently employed as a disc jockey
- Has a host of family members and friends who are eager to stand by and support him
- Has significant family ties in the community
The motion further notes that the bond reduction is a “reasonable” request because Clark “has no criminal history and/or convictions that would suggest he is a danger to the community.”
The motion states Clark’s “detention at the current bond amount is in derogation of Defendant’s right under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, Article 1, Section 13 of the Texas Constitution, and Articles 1.07, 1.09 and 17.15 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.”
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