ROCKLAND, Maine — A month after a judge ordered a Rockport man held without bail until his trial on manslaughter can be held, a different judge agreed to set bail so that he could be released.
Jeremy Stone, charged in connection with the January death of a pedestrian, was released Monday on $2,500 cash bail. His father, Stephen Stone, posted the bail, according to court records.
Judge Patricia Worth agreed to set the $2,500 cash bail during a dispositional conference held Friday in Knox County Unified Court.
Jeremy Stone, 41, is charged with manslaughter, aggravated criminal operating under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident involving death and possessing improper plates.
He has been held in jail for much of the time since his arrest on Jan. 30 and faces up to 30 years in prison.
Police said Stone was driving drunk on the evening of Jan. 30, when his Jeep Cherokee struck 35-year-old Daniel Cormier as he walked along Camden Street near Pizza Hut in Rockland with two friends. Cormier was declared dead upon arrival at the local hospital. The friends were not injured.
Stone left without stopping, according to police, but was arrested at a Rockland residence shortly after the crash.
During a Sept. 25 court hearing, Judge Susan Sparaco refused to release Stone on bail after he admitted to a bail violation that landed him back in jail. Stone was jailed on a bail violation after police conducted a check of him and determined he had taken one extra Klonopin pill than prescribed, a prescription he had renewed the previous night. Stone also tested positive for marijuana use.
Stone’s defense attorney, Jonathan Handelman, declined to comment Tuesday on what led to the change in bail. There is nothing in the court papers detailing the reason.