Shockley’s legal team asking Morgan County court to reconsider no bond order

MORGAN COUNTY, Ind. — Trinity Shockley’s legal team is asking the Morgan County Superior Court for a bond after the court previously issued a no bond order pending on Shockley’s completion of psychological evaluations.

Earlier this month, Morgan County Judge Dakota Van Leeuwen said in the order that Shockley was a “significant threat to the safety of herself and the public,” causing the judge to decide to hold Shockley on no bond.

This comes after the Morgan County Prosecutor’s Office initially asked for a $500,000 surety, plus a $250,000 cash bond for Shockley.

According to previous reports, Shockley is a Mooresville High School student who was charged after allegedly planning a school shooting on Valentine’s Day.

In court documents filed earlier this month in Morgan County, Shockley’s legal team cited Article 1, Section 17 of the Indiana Constitution, stating that all offenses are bailable in the state of Indiana, except for murder.

“(Shockley) is not charged with murder in this cause and therefore should be eligible for bail,” the documents read.

Officials said that there was no evidence presented that Shockley is a flight risk. Shockley’s team also said its client does not possess any weapons.

In the documents, Shockley’s legal team also objects to the psychological evaluations because a hearing has not been hosted surrounding Shockley’s ability to “understand the proceedings and assist in the preparation of a defense.”

Shockley’s legal team states that a request for a psychological evaluation has not been made by them, stressing that written reports from court-appointed psychologists are not confidential. The team said that this could impact Shockley’s “right to remain silent” under the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

“The court’s order is effectively requiring (Shockley) to surrender (the) Fifth Amendment right to remain silent if (Shockley) wishes to have the court consider bail,” the documents said. “Counsel for (Shockley) does not believe (Shockley) is incompetent to stand trial.”

Ultimately, Shockley’s legal team is asking the court to reconsider its no-bond hold and set bond in accordance with the county’s schedule. The team is also asking the court to stay the court’s orders for psychological examination and evaluation pending a hearing.

As of Thursday, Shockley’s pretrial conference is scheduled for May 19, with a jury trial scheduled to begin on June 10.