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New bond set for murder suspect
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Jerry Smith, Sr.
YOUNGSTOWN
A new bond amount has been established for the 53-year-old man accused in the city’s third murder of the year, and he will be waiting a little longer before appearing in court.
Jerry Smith Sr., 53, of Tremble Avenue, Campbell, appeared Monday before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum for a pretrial hearing. Smith is charged with two counts of murder on the same victim and tampering with evidence.
The case was initially set for trial to begin Monday, but Atty. J. Gerald Ingram, representing Smith, asked the court for an extension to prepare his defense. He said he had been officially retained to represent Smith only two days before the pretrial hearing.
Judge Krichbaum granted a 90-day extension but ordered that monthly pretrials be scheduled so that the court can monitor the case.
Smith initially was jailed under $750,000 bond after he surrendered to police March 14. The bond was removed at the time of Smith’s arraignment in county court, with an order that the trial judge could revisit the issue.
Ingram asked that his client be given a lesser bond than the $750,000. He said his client is married and has several children living in the Youngstown area.
“I respectfully submit that he is not a risk of flight. I would suggest bail be set at a reasonable amount,” said Ingram. “I would suggest $150,000 at 10 percent or $100,000 surety.”
J. Michael Thompson, an assistant county prosecutor, asked the court to reimpose the $750,000 bond amount. He said prosecutors intend to show that Smith did gun down a man during a gathering at a home in the city and is therefore a danger to the public.
Ingram told the court Smith is preparing a self- defense claim.
Judge Krichbaum ultimately set bond at $250,000 and ordered Smith to remain on electronically monitored house arrest should he post the bond.
Tyler Simpson, 20, of Dover Street, Warren, was found dead on the sidewalk outside a Kimmel Street home on Youngstown’s East Side just before 6 p.m. March 12.
A witness told police Simpson was at the residence when an argument broke out among some of the people inside the house, and Smith brandished a handgun and started shooting.
Simpson went outside, and Smith reportedly followed and shot Simpson once in the abdomen and once in the right side of the face.