Marion County judge grants bail for assistant public defender charged with domestic battery
An assistant public defender charged with domestic violence, made his first appearance in front of a judge on Tuesday morning.
Wearing a red and white jail uniform and sitting at the back, Walter Leonard Flinn appeared in front of County Judge Lori Cotton via Zoom from the county jail.
Kathryn Bennett, a local defense lawyer representing Flinn, told the court her client has no criminal history, has devoted his life to public service, has a place to stay and is a lifelong Florida resident. The lawyer asked the judge to set bond at $500. Bennett said Flinn is an officer of the court and therefore would obey any rules set by the judge.
Police beat: Ocala police release body cam footage from Sunday afternoon's officer-involved shooting
Assistant State Attorney Cindy Harper requested that Flinn, if released, wear a GPS tracking device, have no contact with the victim — his wife — and have no contact with firearms. Flinn's wife was in court with a victim's witness advocate.
Bennett objected to the GPS device, stating it is the first time Flinn has been arrested and that the measure seemed excessive. Harper said they made the request for the victim's safety.
Hearing both sides, the judge set bond for the 58-year-old, who's in protective custody at the jail, at $1,000. If Flinn posts bail, the judge said he must wear a GPS tracking device, is to have no contact with his wife or her daughter, cannot return to his residence, and cannot possess weapons, illegal drugs or alcohol. His next court date was set for June 12.
About the incident
Flinn was taken into custody at the Marion County Judicial Center when he showed up for work on Monday morning. He's charged with domestic battery, which is a misdemeanor offense.
The public defender is accused of punching his wife twice — once behind her jaw, the other in her upper right rib — and hitting her in the head with a laptop on Sunday at their residence.
The woman told a sheriff's deputy they were talking about their finances when Flinn reportedly assaulted her.
The victim's daughter was at the home and witnessed the incident, the report states.
Authorities said Flinn doesn't have any prior battery convictions.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Assistant public attorney first appearance in Marion County court
