Sonya Massey: Appellate Court Approves Ex-Deputy Sean Grayson Pretrial Release

The Illinois Appellate Court approved the pretrial release of former Deputy Sean Grayson, charged in the murder of Sonya Massey, a Springfield, IL woman killed in her home earlier this year in July, ruling that the lower court “fails to turn up support for several of its findings,” deeming the evidence reviewed as insufficient for pretrial detention and ordered the state court to hold a hearing to set pretrial release conditions.

Ex-Deputy Grayson is scheduled for a Status Conference on Monday, December 2, 2024.

In the closely watched decision, the Appellate Court granted pretrial release for Sean Grayson, a high-profile defendant whose case garnered significant public attention leading to charges with multiple counts of premeditated murder, aggravated battery with a weapon and official misconduct for the murder of Sonya Massey, a woman suffering with mental illness after calling for emergency help to her home under suspicion of a prowler.

Grayson plead not guilty to the charges but was previously denied bail by Judge Ryan Cadagin, Sangamon County Circuit Court prompting an appeal that has now been decided in his favor.

The Appellate Court held the opinion that under the Pretrial Fairness Act, the State must prove the defendant is a danger to the community or a flight risk and that there are no pretrial conditions that would mitigate those risks in order to deny pretrial release.
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The Ruling
The Appellate Court unanimously ruled that the State did not have enough evidence to prove pretrial release conditions would not be sufficient in Grayson’s case.

According to reports, the Court wrote: “A defendant’s conduct may be reprehensible and deserving of punishment but that is not an appropriate basis for imposing pretrial detention.”

The Appellate Court did not include opinions regarding appropriate conditions.  However, the lower court will now have to hold a hearing to determine conditions for Grayson’s pretrial release, but it is unknown if it will be addressed in Monday’s status conference.

The prosecutor, ADA Milhiser, reportedly states intent to file an appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court for a review of the Appellate Court decision.

According to reports, Milhiser states he is committed to keeping Grayson in custody because he has already proven he cannot comply with conditions and is a danger to the community after his inexcusable actions on July 6, 2024 when he killed Sonya Massey.
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While it is yet to be determined the exact conditions Judge Cadagin will impose for Grayson’s release, common conditions may include house arrest with electronic monitoring via GPS tether, travel ban including requirement of the defendant to surrender his passport, financial restrictions where the defendant would be prohibited from transferring funds without the court’s permission, and being prohibited from the possession or purchase of firearms.

Related Articles:
The Case For Transparency: The Sonya Massey Murder Trial of Ex-Deputy Sean Grayson
Judge Rules On Media Coverage For Sean Grayson Trial In Sonya Massey Death
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