AUSTIN — Several people gathered at the Austin courthouse Tuesday morning to protest against the low bail given to the man accused of killing 19-year-old Devonte Ortiz.
Ortiz was reportedly shot to death on July 4 during an argument about fireworks. Police said the argument escalated to that point that the victim and the suspect both displayed firearms.
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Jason Roche, 41, is the man accused of killing Ortiz. According to online records, Roche was booked into the Travis County Jail on July 6 and his bond was set at $250,000.
Protesters are accusing Judge Patrick McNelis of setting Roche's bail too low and said that there is either no bail given for murder charges or they are set in the millions of dollars.
Flyers given out by the protesters also accuse McNelis of having a history of siding with "prejudiced shooters."
According to court documents, Roche finished a 10-year probation sentence in December 2010 for a felony drug offense. Roche was also convicted in Travis County for burglarizing a vehicle in 1994 and driving while intoxicated in 1999.
Roche is still in police custody with a $250,000 bond as of Tuesday morning, according to online records.