Metro Airport sex assault suspect gets low bond - despite criminal history

Wayne County prosecutor's office wants higher bond for Metro Airport sex assault suspect

And this isn’t Raymond Jackson, Jr.'s first run-in with law enforcement. Past offenses include misdemeanor stalking, failure to obey police, and domestic violence.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - When we last saw Raymond Jackson, Jr. he was in court for one of last month’s two attempted sexual assaults at Detroit Metro Airport.

During Monday’s hearing, Airport Police recommended a $100,000 dollar bond. Instead, Judge Lisa Martin set it lower -- much lower.

"Mr. Jackson, the court will set your bond at $10,000 at 10 percent, on condition that you do not return to Detroit Metro Airport unless it’s on official business," Judge Martin said.

Jackson, a sexual assault suspect -- who is a person of interest in a second sex-assault case -- received a $10,000 bond at 10 percent which would be $1,000 in cash.

Judge Martin didn’t give a reason why she lowered the bond, but here’s why Jackson’s court-appointed attorney asked for a more reasonable bond than $100,000.

"Your honor, Mr. Jackson is 32 years old. He’s had no prior felony convictions. He was last employed up until Tuesday of last week," the attorney said.

While Raymond Jackson, Jr. doesn’t have any prior felony convictions he is facing a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon.

FOX 2 learned Jackson was out on bond for that case when investigators say he tried to sexually assault a woman at the airport.

And this isn’t his first run-in with law enforcement. Past offenses include misdemeanor stalking, failure to obey the police, and domestic violence.

"I know they were calling for the county prosecutor to come, but I’m not going to hold an arraignment because they haven’t logged on yet," Martin said at the start of the hearing.

While a prosecutor wasn’t at Monday's hearing, the officer-in-charge argued for the 100,000 bond on their behalf.

FOX 2 asked the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office why a prosecutor wasn’t in court, a spokeswoman said the prosecutors from their sex assault unit were busy with other hearings, which is why the officer-in-charge represented — which it says is common.

The prosecutor's office believes Jackson’s current bond is too low and plans to ask the judge to reconsider.

Kalimah Johnson is the executive director of the Sasha Center. Her organization works with sex assault survivors.

"I think a higher bond or highest bond possible should be held; especially for sexual assault perpetrators - or accused ones anyway," Johnson said.

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She believes the low bond sends a bad message.

FOX 2: "For a lot of survivors, what does justice look like?"

"Justice and healing are not synonymous with each other," Johnson said. "What I can say though, is that there is some level of vindication when you know that someone is going to pay the price for their behavior."

Wayne County Proseutor Kym Worthy released a statement on the Jackson situation:

"While I would love to have staff at AOWs (arraignments on warrants), we generally do not appear at the arraignments on the warrants. We have never had the staff to do so. The defense is better funded than we are. That is why we have the officers in charge of the case appear."

Jackson is also facing a $5,000 personal bond on a separate case.

A request for comment from Judge Lisa Martin, but did not receive a response by the deadline for this story.

For more information on the work that the Sasha Center does, CLICK HERE.