Bail System In The Crosshairs: An Indianapolis Mother's Plea for Justice
Failed by the System: Mother's Outcry after Murder of 15-year-old Son
In the aftermath of the tragic and senseless loss of 15-year-old Jeremiah Lewis, there is an indelible question left lingering in the heart of Indianapolis – a question that echoes in the anguished voice of Jeremiah's mother, Donnetta Lewis: "My son died for no reason." It is a question that reaches into the very core of our society's collective conscience and forces us to reckon with the deadly consequences of our country's deeply flawed bail system.
How could Wardell Wright, a man who had been identified as posing a "significant risk" to the community by prosecutors, secure his release from jail on a surety bond of $10,000 and a cash bond of $500? A man who had led police on a car chase, discarded an altered firearm, and had already faced charges of armed robbery, machine gun possession, auto theft, and more? The system enabled him to be back on the streets, resulting in the loss of a promising young life.
The particulars of this case demonstrate a stark and harrowing reality of our bail system. In theory, the system should balance the rights of the accused, presuming innocence until guilt is proven, with the safety of the community. Yet in practice, as we've seen in Jeremiah's case, the system can fail catastrophically.
The response from the Marion County Superior Court is that they were merely following "normal operating procedure." But when "normal operating procedure" results in the death of a 15-year-old boy with a bright future, we must ask ourselves: is this 'normal' something we can, or should, accept? Is it not time for a radical overhaul of a system that repeatedly shows itself to be flawed?
Jeremiah Lewis was not a statistic or a headline. He was a young man of promise and potential. He was a straight-A student taking college-level courses. He was a caring brother to his siblings, an adored son, a beloved member of his community. He deserved better from a system designed to protect him and his community.
The tragedy of Jeremiah Lewis is a painful reminder that our current bail system is fundamentally broken. Rather than focusing on protecting the community, the system often seems skewed towards facilitating speedy releases, sometimes allowing dangerous individuals back on the streets. While we cannot bring back Jeremiah, we can honor his memory by demanding meaningful reform.
The needless loss of Jeremiah underscores the urgency of revisiting our laws around bail, with a focus on the safety of the community and a careful evaluation of the risks posed by those arrested. It underscores the necessity of creating a system that doesn't enable individuals with violent tendencies to slip through the cracks, leading to such devastating consequences.
We owe it to Jeremiah and to the countless other victims of this system to strive for reform. We owe it to them to ensure that the term "innocent until proven guilty" does not become an excuse to ignore clear, imminent threats to the safety of our communities. As we grapple with the unbearable pain of this tragedy, let us also commit to seeking justice for Jeremiah and for all those who have suffered at the hands of a bail system that prioritizes procedural efficiency over human lives.
To do less would be an abdication of our responsibility as a society. Let Jeremiah's story be a call to action. Let his life be the spark that ignites change. And let his mother's question, "My son died for no reason," be the rallying cry for those of us committed to reforming a system that is failing too many.
Five months before he was arrested in a fatal shooting, prosecutors requested a higher-than-normal bond for Wardell Wright, stating in court records that he posed a risk to the community.
An Indianapolis mother is now questioning the court system and how Wright, the man accused of gunning down her 15-year-old son, bonded out of jail so quickly in a previous armed carjacking case.
“I feel like the court failed when it came to Wardell (Wright)," said Donnetta Lewis.
Wight, 19, is now facing murder and escape charges in the June shooting death of Jeremiah Lewis. In January, Wright was arrested for an armed carjacking at an Indianapolis gas station.
Wright led police on a chase in the stolen vehicle and then on foot. Before he was arrested, Wright ditched a firearm altered with a Glock switch in a dumpster, according to the probable cause affidavit for his arrest.
He is facing charges of armed robbery, possession of a machine gun, auto theft, unlawful carrying of a handgun, and two counts of resisting law enforcement in his arrest on Jan. 30, court records show.
Previous coverage: Two teens arrested in connection with murder of 15-year-old
Marion Superior Court Judge Cynthia Oetjen set a surety bond of $10,000 and a cash bond of $500 after Wright was booked into jail on the charge of possession of a machine gun, which is a Level 5 felony. Wright's original bond was double what would normally be set for a Level 5 felony in Marion Superior Court as the judge determined an enhancement was appropriate.
Prosecutors ask for higher bond due to 'significant risk' to victim, community
The next day, police connected Wright to the armed robbery and presented additional information to the prosecutor's office so that enhanced charges could be filed in the case. Prosecutors asked for a bond of $100,000 and wrote Wright posed “a significant risk not only to the victim in this matter, but also to the community as a whole” in a motion for a higher-than-normal bond.
Wright had already posted his original bond so a magistrate denied the request from prosecutors for a higher bond. Wright was released from jail the day after his arrest around 7 p.m.
All of this was the normal operating procedure for the court system, said Emily VanOsdol, court administrator at the Marion County Superior Court.
“You can only hold people for so long without some (preliminary) charges,” VanOsdol said. “The prosecutors could get more information from a detective before the official charges are filed. It can happen both ways, where the initial bond is set high, and the official charges are less.”
Michael Leffler, a spokesperson for the Marion County Prosecutor's Office, noted prosecutors do not have influence over a defendant’s initial bond.
‘My son died for no reason’
On the day Jeremiah Lewis was killed, he was supposed take his mother’s car four minutes away to work at a thrift shop. Instead, the teenager was lured to the 2000 block of Lohr Drive by a friend from school, Donnetta Lewis said.
Police found the teenage boy inside his mom’s car suffering from gunshot wounds around 9:45 a.m. and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Wright and a 14-year-old girl were arrested and charged with murder in Jeremiah Lewis’ death on June 22, according to IMPD.
The girl told police she asked Jeremiah Lewis to meet her so she could buy marijuana, according to the affidavit for Wright’s arrest.
“I never knew my son to sell drugs because he was smarter than that,” Donnetta Lewis said.
The mother can’t understand why her son’s friend from school lured him to the location where he was killed. She doesn’t know why anyone would have wanted to hurt him, she said.
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“My son wasn't a bad kid,” Donnetta Lewis said. “He made straight A's since kindergarten all the way to 9th grade. Once this happened, all his teachers reached out stating how much of a good kid he was."
Ashley McKinney, a teacher at Lynhurst 7th and 8th Grade Center, said she was shocked to hear Jeremiah Lewis was killed in a shooting.
“He was funny and respectful,” McKinney said. “He cared about other kids and loved sports, especially football. He was very smart.”
Jeremiah Lewis had already started taking college-level classes through Ivy Tech while in 9th grade. Jeremiah was the kind of student who could make the day better for teachers, McKinney said.
The teenager, nicknamed “Scooby” by his family, left behind five younger siblings. Jeremiah Lewis liked to play basketball and wrestle his brothers and sisters.
“His younger siblings and cousins loved him,” Donnetta Lewis said. “We haven't found anything to take the pain away.”
Detectives are continuing to investigate the circumstances and the involvement of other individuals in the shooting, according to police.
Donnetta Lewis is hopeful everyone involved will be arrested.
“My son died for no reason,” Donnetta Lewis said. “No reason at all.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis mother questions bail system after 15-year-old son killed