BANGOR — A man serving seven years of a 15-year sentence in connection with the hit-and-run death of a University of Maine student two years ago asked through his attorney Wednesday that he be released on bail while his appeal is pending before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.
Garrett Cheney, 23, of South Berwick was dressed in an orange jumpsuit with his legs shackled rather than in the suit and tie he wore every day of his trial in July.
On Dec. 7, Superior Court Justice William Anderson sentenced Cheney to 15 years with all but seven suspended in the death of Jordyn Bakley, 20, of Camden. The judge denied an oral motion for post-conviction bail made by Cheney’s trial attorney, William Bly of Biddeford, after the sentencing.
Cheney’s new attorney, Timothy Zerillo of Portland, who is handling the appeal, argued Wednesday that his client should be released from prison because he had no problems on pre-conviction bail of $50,000 surety.
Penobscot County District Attorney Christopher Almy, who successfully prosecuted the case, argued Wednesday that Anderson’s decision at Cheney’s sentencing was “fair and appropriate and should stand.”
Anderson said he would issue his decision in writing soon but there is no timeline under which he must make his ruling.
In addition to manslaughter, Cheney was found guilty of aggravated criminal operating under the influence of intoxicants, leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in serious bodily injury and criminal operating under the influence of intoxicants.
There are far more serious matters here but I can’t understand how serving seven and seven suspended equate to 15…
Modern Court system math?
time served
You’re right it doesn’t add it, and in the state of Maine (I don’t know about other states) they don’t have to. The probation portion is not automatically the same as the suspended time piece. All it means is that he has 8 years hanging if he was to screw up on probation (such as drinking) so actually if he served 7 (minus goodtime if he isn’t a punk which will be 7 days a month if he’s working, 9 if on a cumminty restiution crew, but that’s only possible the last 3 yrs of his sentence)) he could do 4 years probabtion and still end of doing another 8 years should he get in trouble. There are plenty of people that actually end of doing more time (including probation time) then their original sentence. Sorry for the long explaination but that’s how it works.
No need for the apology – thanks for clarifying.
Uh, NO!
uhhhhh YES!!!!!!
Why on earth would they release a convicted person pending an appeal that may or may not be granted? This man obviously has no remorse for his actions and is still trying to escape the consequence of driving drunk and leaving a woman in a snow bank to die. Unbelievable!
His blank stare has always concerned me. It is almost like there is no one in there. We don’t need people like him back on the streets. He should be locked up for a very long time.
Every now and again, the subject of rights takes center stage in the public arena. Human rights, personal rights, maternal rights, rights of the unborn, the right to bear arms, and the right to health care are just a few of the more common topics, but lately it seems that we’ve gotten to the point where everybody’s got a right and nobody’s got a responsibility..
Does this mean that everyone who is in prison, and, has an appeal in progress, gets to get out on bail? They should make a deal with him. If you loose your appeal you will do the whole 15 years. Do you feel lucky? Punk. I’ll bet then he would shut up and do his time.
No no!!!!
YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just heard on the news this morning a man from Caribou is getting more than six years in jail for selling pot and owning weapons as a felon.Seems fairly harmless…Cheney on the other hand only gets 15 (maybe) for killing an innocent woman?!..And he may get bail for a while?!! No way! He’s clearly an endangerment to society.
He was actually only ordered to serve 7 years of his 15 year sentence
Convicted felon with weapons and drugs. So he has priors… he should get 6 years+. Apparently he didn’t learn anythign the first, second or however many times he was convicted. No excuses for Cheney either. He should stay incarcerated until his case is reviewed.
….
a lot of things…the fact that there wasnt any real proof to his guilt of killing her not mention the timeline doesnt add up…the fact her b/f wasnt questioned enough…the fact that Cheney’s story NEVER changed…the fact that there was and still no DNA on his truck…and the fact i feel he was railroaded from what was written! and many more things i could go on and on about
What IS Cheney’s story, by the way. We never did hear it. Please, enlighten us.
he claimed his innocence from day one and still claims it now and just because we didnt hear from him personally you dont hear from a lot of defenders under their lawyers advisement….so let me ask this if got on the stand and said he didnt do it you would believe him??
Please, I am still waiting. Enlighten us. WHY did he leave Orono when he was supposed to help his cousin move the next day?
why does it matter why he left…why do you leave places?
I don’t know what the standard is for the granting of post-conviction bail pending an appeal, but if the likelihood of success on the appeal has anything to do with it, bail shouldn’t be granted in this case. My impression was that the grounds claimed for a new trial were frivolous. But I will give Cheney some credit for getting a new lawyer. I don’t know how good the guy is, but I’m sure he couldn’t be worse than his trial counsel.
when the truth comes out wont you all feel like crap for judging someone over a trial you know nothing about or ever attended…i think you all should start gathering materials for your apology letters now and oh yea… FREE CHENEY!!!!!!!!
I saw the aftermath of what Cheney did and he needs to suffer the consequences of his actions, whether he remembers them or not.
he remembered everything and his story never changed unlike Chester’s at the stand who needed constant reminders of what he said after lying and then hearing the interview tape playback and then saying on yea i did say that hmmm sounds fishy im sorry but again for someone soo devastated and hurt he had an awfully big grin walking out of the court room after testifying and for something like this to happen to someone he loved so much he should have remembered every detail of that night
This young man made a very wrong choice and as a result another human being is dead… He was convicted of his action in a court of law. I followed this case very closely and I have to ask, What truths are you refering too?? If his wrong choices and actions are found to be no longer responsible for Jordyns death, his conviction for the will become irrelevent. However he is still guilty of driving drunk and worst of all trying to hide his involvement is his crimes. He has done very little to show any remorse for his actions or man up to his involvement in Jordyns death.
apparently you didnt follow the case that well there was a lot of details that didnt make sense at all like that b/f he lied under oath and corrected himself after the tape recording was played back and his picture in the paper leaving court really showed he was sooo sad with a grin on his face ear to ear and to answer to showing no remorse its really hard to show remorse for something you didnt do and to remind you all that he did admit to driving drunk but to remind you all also that the legal limit for drinking used to be .1 not that long ago
He HAD a trial. Was found guilty by twelve of his peers. “when the truth comes out…” If he had anything, it would have come out then.
it wasnt twelve of HIS peers it was twelve bangorians
You sound like a truly impartial third party.
It’s his mama.
ummm no im not his mother…i am someone who pays attention and i am impartial
thank you yes i am
OH! and another thing you say he was found guilty by his peers but what about Oj Simpson being found INNOCENT by HIS peers was he really innocent? and add Casey Anthony to that list but since we are going the other way how many innocent people are sent to jail daily?
Not to be too antagonistic, but in OJ’s case, the famous quote was “If the glove doesn’t fit….” What can we say about the pieces from the front of his truck?
I know you’re angry–he had a full life ahead of him. I don’t agree with the comments that he can’t turn things around and make positive contributions to society. But people who knew Jordyn, live in that neighborhood, or who worked/followed the case, have a right to be angry too–she doesn’t have a second chance.
He had more than ample time during his trial to share his truth. A jury of his peers heard the truth presented and found him guilty. The evidence was overwhelming. Maybe if he would show some sense of remorse for his wrong doing people would feel different. Instead he is not man enough to do the right thing, admit his wrong and serve his time. It is beyond selfish to put that poor family through anymore than they have already suffered. Instead he continues to try get out of his debt to society.
again he did admit his wrong to drunk driving and again how can you show remorse for something you didnt do? He is not selfish at all not one bit and what overwhelming evidence there was no DNA on his truck to prove it was him you cant just wash away DNA so please tell me how the evidence showed he committed the crime
Gee, I wonder why there wasn’t any DNA on his truck. That’s a no brainer.
blood spatters…she had only one glove on and her hand supposedly went through the grill where did the fibers go and again DNA does not wash away
you are absolutely right Tyanne! i agree!
Keep him locked up…..the 7 years wasn’t even long enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The amount of money Mr. Cheney’s family is spending to keep him out of serving his time should have been better spent in his youth teaching him responsabilty and acceptance for his actions. As for the unsuspended 7 years to serve that actually equals about 4 years after goodtime credits are figured in. It is time for Mr. Chaney to pay the price for his actions as the victim has paid with her life.
his appeal? if anything he needs MORE TIME!! someone like him has no regard for human life!
Serving just 7 years for what was done, nothing else should be further considered, I would say for killing someone, drunk, leaving the scene, you are getting it pretty easy, so just enjoy the next few years and be thankful the judicial system is ignorant…
we do agree on one statement of yours…you are absolutley right the judicial system is ignorant but not for your reason…its for putting him in jail in the first place
No way..stay in jail!
Do we really think this man will ever be a useful member of society? I really can’t believe the judge suspended all but seven years. Maine judges are the most lenient I’ve seen on such serious cases. He killed a young woman and still is defiant even though the evidence is overwhelming.
please explain this overwhelming evidence!! THERE WAS NO DNA FOUND!!!!!!
Innocent until proven guilty. He was proven guilty therefore should stay in jail. If you want to appeal, that is your right, but you will wait behind bars.
are you sure he was proven guilty i saw and read the same things you did and i saw no proof at all just a bunch of lies unanswered questions and other factors that made no sense what-so-ever
Did the jury of his peers return a verdict of Guilty?
they wernt HIS peers they were all BANGORIANS!!!!!!!
Well I guess you should have been there to pick the jury if you think it was so unfair. You’re not going to convince me otherwise.
even if i picked the jury they still would have been Bangorians the trial should have been moved to a neutral zone as requested
This story got statewide coverage, the only “neutral zone” would have been out of state and that’s just asinine.
Oh yeah, right… we got this boy in jail… DON’T LOSE HIM!!! Give him MORE TIME in jail,…
Leave him in JAIL. He, at least is alive, Jordyn is deceased. He was drunk, she wasn’t. He left the scene, she couldn’t. What is there to think about?
SHE WAS TOO DRUNK! she was at a party as well she had been drinking in fact her alcohol level was higher than Cheney’s
So your saying she deserved to die? Had cheney walked instead of drove Bakley would still be alive today.
no i never said she deserved to die at all i simply replied to the comment above saying “he was drunk and she wasn’t” and to reply to yours had Cheney walked the right person would be behind bars for killing Bakley not him and i hope they give that person life for allowing someone else suffer and take the blame for their actions
Sure becuase I kid that has already been convicted and who’s future rests in the appeals process would never skip town. Sure. Keep him locked up like everybody else waiting for an appeal.
I am going to say if some1 hit my daughter and left her in the snow bank to die, I would be completely beside myself!! If the person that killed my daughter was walking aroundthe street,s he would have to have a damn good body guard cuz there would be no place he could hide!! 7 years is not very long considering he just murdered a young woman going to school that was probably going to be very successful!! He took someones life and his family is willing to cover for him?? That is s exactly what is wrong with society today… Make your damn kids pay for what they have done wrong and perhaps they would feel guilty and would never do such a thing again!! I was always taught that if I did wrong I had to suffer the consequences… Shouldn’t we all?? Personally ending someones life should probably end your life… Not such as death penalty but have to sit and rot in a prison that you don’t get tv in, that you don’t have a gym in etc… The elderly in the country that go to nursing homes get worse treatment then the prisoners…
Although he may of said he’s SORRY, But, SORRY LOCK HIM UP NOW!
Let me see, you get drunk, kil some one, get 15 years, we toss out all but seven, and you want that to be reviewed. Yes, review we should and send you away for all of the 15 we gave you to start with! What a state!
apparently you didnt follow the case that well there was a lot of details that didnt make sense at all like that b/f he lied under oath and corrected himself after the tape recording was played back and his picture in the paper leaving court really showed he was sooo sad with a grin on his face ear to ear and to answer to showing no remorse its really hard to show remorse for something you didnt do and to remind you all that he did admit to driving drunk but to remind you all also that the legal limit for drinking used to be .1 not that long ago
Punctuation is not your enemy.
Apparently, you weren’t at the trial. There was no DNA evidence because the young woman was entirely clothed. It WAS winter, after all. Secondly, the only thing that didn’t make sense (if you try to argue Cheney is innocent) is why he FLED from Orono after he hit her. After all, he was there to help his cousin move the next morning with Cheney’s truck. Instead, he hit a young woman with his truck, fled without even stopping to see if he could assist, and then crashed his vehicle again after getting out of his truck on I-95, and here’s an assumption on my part, perhaps to destroy the evidence on his grill of a previous crash. The rest are all facts from the trial.
FREE CHENEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he deserves to be out and live a normal life!
Judge considering post-conviction bail for man in Orono hit-and-run death
News flash….. consideration is over….DENIED. He’s never showed any remorse.
how much remorse would you show if you were accused of something you didnt do and please let me be on the jury when that happens
…