Takeoff Murder Suspect Denied Additional Reduction of $1 Million Bond
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Patrick Clark, the man accused of murdering Migos rapper Takeoff, was denied an additional bond reduction, with a judge ordering his bail remain set at $1 million.
Clark, who was hit with a murder charge upon his arrest earlier this month, first had his bond set at $2 million, but his lawyers fought to have it lowered, arguing it was “excessive and penal in nature.” At a hearing on Dec. 14, Judge Josh Hill agreed to lower Clark’s bond to $1 million. Clark’s lawyers attempted to get that number lowered even further to $300,000 and appeared optimistic they would succeed after a hearing yesterday.
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But on Wednesday, Dec. 28, Hill ruled against Clark and kept the bail set at $1 million (though Clark can appeal). According to NBC 2 in Houston, Hill said he feared Clark was a flight risk because he had his passport on him — as well as an itinerary for Mexico — when he was arrested.
Additionally, Hill said some of Clark’s previous statements suggested he could afford the $1 million bond, despite his lawyer’s claims that he couldn’t. Clark, for instance, was reportedly recorded on a jail phone call saying he could cover the original $2 million bond. Prosecutors have also argued that Clark — who works as a DJ — has more money and assets available, citing some Instagram photos in which he posed with large amounts of cash.
Clark’s lawyer, Letitia Quinones, tells Rolling State they “plan to exercise all legal remedies available by law.” She said the next step in that process would be filing a writ of habeas corpus as part of an effort to get prosecutors to prove they have a valid reason for detaining Clark.
Part of the reason the judge handed down such a large bond is because, at the time of his arrest, prosecutors believed that Clark was attempting to leave for Mexico after getting an expedited passport and acquiring a “large amount” of money. However, Quinones, said her client “wasn’t trying to go anywhere.”
Clark was arrested based on reviewed video evidence that showed he was the only person whose physical positioning aligned with the angle at which Takeoff was struck before collapsing to the ground. Clark was holding a wine bottle at the time of the incident and left it at the crime scene, which allowed authorities to match his fingerprints.
Another individual, 22-year-old Cameron Joshua, was arrested in late November and charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon, though he is not believed to have fired the weapon at the time of the shooting.
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