Judge will consider raising bail for man charged with 2nd-degree murder in fatal Barre crash
ALBION – Orleans County Court Judge Sanford Church may raise the bail from $2,500 for a man charged with second-degree murder in a fatal Barre crash on Feb. 8.
During the arraignment in county court last week for Noah Magee, District Attorney Joe Cardone requested bail be increased from $2,500 set at the town court level to $250,000.
Cardone noted the charges in the case had been upgraded from reckless endangerment in the 1st degree to second-degree murder. But Judge Church kept the bail at $2,500, noting he had made all of his court appearances.
Magee was driving a pickup truck the wrong way on McNamar Road on Feb. 8 when he hit Roger Kingdollar who was driving a dirtbike. Kingdollar, 24, died from the collision.
In a court appearance today after Cardone filed a bail application, Judge Church said he didn’t have the minutes from the grand jury testimony or a video that showed the crash when he set the bail last week.
Cardone said those minutes and video would be provided this afternoon. Judge Church said he will review the evidence and could decide to increase the bail from the current $2,500.
The judge last week also approved five temporary orders of protection for family and friends of Kingdollar. Magee was not to drive by the homes or linger near them. The judge issued those orders of protection despite Magee’s attorney Paul Vacco saying there is “no reasonable basis” for issuing them.
Cardone said in court today that Magee may have violated the order of protection in one instance by driving a vehicle near the residence of one of the people he is to stay away from. But Vacco said there is no clear evidence that the vehicle is question was Magee’s or that he was driving it.
The judge stressed to Magee to avoid driving near or having any contact and communications with the five people with orders of protection.
Vacco asked the judge to consider 10 orders of protection for Magee from people who were unruly during his court appearance on June 12.
Church declined to do that, but told the people in court they need to stop having disturbances in the courtroom or in the parking lot outside the courthouse.
Church had people escorted by security on Friday due to their behavior, when they were yelling at Magee and the judge.
Church said he will insist on order in the courtroom.
“It’s difficult,” he said to Kingdollar’s friends and family. “I am sorry for your loss. But you have to be patient and trust the process.”
