Lawyer pushes for bail for driver in fatal crash

Shanna Jane West, held since April on manslaughter charges, has been denied bail previously. Her lawyer tries again.

By BRADY DENNIS

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 1, 2001

DADE CITY -- An attorney for Shanna Jane West filed a motion arguing that she should be allowed to post bond and await her trial from outside a jail cell.

West has been behind bars since April 3, held without bail on charges of manslaughter by culpable negligence in connection with a Nov. 21, 2000, accident that killed 54-year-old Barbara Mercer of Dade City.

In his motion filed Wednesday, Tampa attorney Robert Ford outlines several arguments for allowing West to post bond.

He points out that it took law enforcement officers more than four months to arrest West, and during that time she did not commit any crimes or endanger the community.

Ford also says that West, 21, made no effort to flee the jurisdiction or avoid prosecution, and she agreed to turn herself in when charges were filed.

But prosecutor Phil Van Allen has vowed to do all he can to keep West behind bars.

"Our concern, the family's concern and the Florida Highway Patrol's concern is if she gets out, she can endanger other people," he said at a bond hearing on April 9.

"I would argue that her actions on Nov. 21 alone indicate she poses a threat to the community. Seventy-five hundred dollars is not enough. No bond is enough."

So far, the court has agreed.

"I find that she certainly poses a severe threat to the community," Cobb said in his ruling April 11. "And she certainly qualifies for pretrial detention."

Earlier on Nov. 21, the day of the accident, she was charged with driving under the influence in Tampa. She bailed out of jail and less than 12 hours later was on the road again, admittedly high on GHB, a drug that causes euphoria and sedation.

West blacked out and was driving erratically north on U.S. 41 when she crashed into a car headed south, with Mercer in the front seat, West told the Times and Florida Highway Patrol investigators.

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