Teen gets date for trial in killing of woman, 22

The defendant's bond was reduced by $100,000.
& lt;a href=mailto:bjackson@vindy.com & gt;By BOB JACKSON & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Trial will be May 5 in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for a Youngstown teenager accused of killing a 22-year-old woman a year ago.
Breon Stringfield, 17, of Parkwood Avenue, is being held in the Mahoning County Jail on a charge of murder with a firearm specification. If he is convicted, Stringfield faces mandatory sentences of 15 years to life in prison for murder, and three years for using a gun.
Reduction request
During a hearing Friday, Judge Jack Durkin granted a request from defense attorney Ted Macejko Jr. to reduce Stringfield's $250,000 cash bond.
Macejko said Stringfield was a student at The Rayen School before his arrest in April 2003. Stringfield has no driver's license, no job, no car, no money and no prior criminal record, so is not a risk to flee the area if he is able to make bail, Macejko said.
Assistant Prosecutor Gina Arnaut argued against the reduction, saying the severity of the crime with which Stringfield is charged merits the higher bond.
But Judge Durkin agreed that $250,000 was an excessive bond and reduced the amount to $150,000 cash or surety. He said the purpose of a bond is not to punish the defendant, but to ensure his or her appearance when scheduled in court.
The judge said if Stringfield is able to post the lower bond and get out of jail while he awaits trial, his whereabouts must be monitored with an electronic ankle bracelet. He said Stringfield cannot be released from jail without the ankle bracelet.
The crime
Stringfield is accused of killing Dominique S. Lynch of Trussit Avenue outside her home. Police said Lynch was arguing with her husband when a gray car pulled up and a young male got out and started shooting. Mrs. Lynch was shot under her right arm.
Stringfield was originally charged as a juvenile because he was 16 at the time of the shooting. He was later bound over to common pleas court for trial as an adult.
& lt;a href=mailto:bjackson@vindy.com & gt;bjackson@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;