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WEBVTT THE JUDGE WENT ALONG, HERE IS WHAT LED TO THE JUDGE’S DECISION. THE DECEMBER 21 SHOOTING OF RODNEY BEAMON IN FELLS POINT HAPPENED IN A PUBLIC PLACE, INSIDE THE BLARNEY STONE PUB. PHILLIP WEST WAS IDENTIFIED BY WITNESSES INVESTIGATORS SAID, AS THE SHOOTER. THE TWO MEN KNEW EACH OTHER, INVESTIGATORS SAID, AND HAD ARGUED BEFORE THE SHOOTING. WEST SURRENDERED MONDAY. A COURT COMMISSIONER ORDERED HIM HELD HIM WITHOUT BAIL, TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IN MURDER CASES. BUT YESTERDAY AT A BAIL HEARING, WEST’S LAWYER ARGUED FOR WEST TO BE RELEASED, AND SUCCEEDED. WEST IS CO OWNER OF THE GET IT INN TWO IN SOUTHEAST BALTIMORE, LAWYER KENNETH RAVENELL ARGUED. THAT’S THE BAR THAT WAS RAIDED THE DAY AFTER THE MURDER. AND WHILE WEST SERVED TIME IN FEDERAL PRISON, RAVENELL SAID, HE’S HAD NO ARRESTS THE PAST TEN YEARS. THERE’S NO SUGGESTION HE IS SOMEONE WHO PRESENTS A DANGER TO ANYONE ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY.KEN RAVENELL SAID.THERE’S NO SUGGESTION THERE’S SOME ONGOING FEUD. PRE TRIAL INVESTIGATORS AND THE PROSECUTOR HANDLING THE BAIL HEARING EACH RECOMMENDED NO BAIL. THE JUDGE AGREED WITH WEST’S ATTORNEY. THERE IS NO HIGHER CRIME THAN THAT OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER , JUDGE MICHAEL STUDDARD SAID BUT COUNSEL IS CORRECT IT IS NOT AN ABSOLUTE BAR FOR RELEASE IF THERE ARE OTHER CONDITIONS THAT CAN ASSURE THE PUBLIC SAFETY THE COURT WILL ISSUE A BAIL OF $100,000. THE JUDGE ADDED GPS HOME MONITORING. WEST MADE BAIL AND WAS RELEASED YESTERDAY. INTERIM POLICE COMMISSIONER GARY TUGGLE, WHO’S PUBLICLY CRITICIZED JUDGES FOR TREATING SUSPECTED CRIMINALS TOO LIGHTLY RESPONDED. >> WHEN WE SEE INDIVIDUALS BEING LET OUT AND WE THAT ALSO GOES TO WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A DETERRENT FOR COMMITTI

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The suspect in a fatal December shooting a Baltimore pub is out on bail, despite a federal drug record. The shooting of Rodney Beamon Jr. , 32, happened Dec. 21 inside the Blarney Stone Pub in Fells Point.According to investigators, Phillip West, 48, was identified by witnesses as the shooter. The two men knew each other, investigators said, and had argued before the shooting.West surrendered on Monday. A court commissioner ordered to hold him without bail, typically what happens in murder cases. But at a bail hearing on Tuesday, West's lawyer argued for West to be released and succeeded.West is co-owner of the Get It Inn 2, in southeast Baltimore, lawyer Kenneth Ravenell argued. It’s important to note that was the bar that was raided the day after the slaying.And while West served time in federal prison, Ravenell said, he's had no arrests the past 10 years. "There's no suggestion he is someone who presents a danger to anyone else in the community,” said Ravenell. “There's no suggestion there's some ongoing feud.” Pretrial investigators and the prosecutor handling the bail hearing each recommended no bail.The judge agreed with West's attorney."There is no higher crime than that of first-degree murder,” said Judge Michael Studdard. “But counsel is correct: It is not an absolute bar for release if there are other conditions that can assure the public safety. The court will issue a bail of $100,000."The Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office filed on Thursday a motion to revoke bail. As of Thursday afternoon, West's lawyer has not responded to the motion to revoke bail.Also Thursday, Gov. Larry Hogan weighed in on the case with comments from Annapolis. Hogan has criticized judges in some cases. He is seeking a new law that makes judges' names more available to the public in cases they decide."It seems to be outrageous. You know, this is an issue I have been talking a lot about for more than a year, about the leniency of, particularly, Baltimore City judges," Hogan said. "We are also having judicial transparency legislation so people will know exactly the kind of decisions judges make, like this particular one."Hogan appointed Studdard in 2016.It is unusual to see a murder suspect out on bail, but West is not the only case.In Baltimore County, suspects Nygee and Norwood Johnson have been out on bail for eight months. They are charged in a double murder. The judge added GPS home monitoring as a condition of his release. West made bail and was released. Interim Baltimore City Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle, who has publicly criticized judges for treating suspected criminals too lightly, responded."When we see individuals being let out, and we see that also goes to whether or not there is a deterrent for committing crime, and if there is no deterrent, then people are going to be willing to commit crime,” said Tuggle. There are at least two other murder cases in which defendants have been released on bail. One case is in Baltimore County and the other is in Harford County.Baltimore City Councilman Zeke Cohen expressed his outrage in the following Facebook post: In response to Cohen's statement, Ravenell sent a statement to 11 News, saying: "I am disappointed to hear that people are upset and faulting Judge Studdard for doing his job as mandated by his oath and the constitution, being an independent arbiter of facts. Mr. West is not the first person who has been charged with murder released on bail. People seem to forget, until it is one of their loved ones, that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If the legislature intended that all charged with murder be denied bail that would be the law and judges would not have discretion to grant bail. Judge Studdard was very thoughtful in his decision making and I am proud of him, because he had to know that he would face backlash from some people. "Some specific facts are important to know. Mr. West was fully aware of the allegations against him and chose to self surrender. That fact clearly showed Judge Studdard that he is not a flight risk. The second factor the judge had to consider is whether Mr West is a present danger to anyone in the community if released. The judge considered among other things, the fact that: Mr. West was fully and gainfully employed; he is a business and property owner; he has not had a conviction since 2003; he is 48 years old and he does not have a history of violence in his background. Taking all of those facts and others into consideration the judge fashioned what he believes to be appropriate conditions of release, including requiring that Mr. West wear an electronic monitoring bracelet with GPS capabilities."The Baltimore City FOP tweeted a statement in response to the judge's decision.