Man held on theft charges
A man charged with robbery and retail theft will continue to be held in the county prison after a bail reduction request was denied in Butler County Court on Friday.
Michael John Wallace Scott, 29, continues to be held on $3,500 combined bail in two cases after the reduction request was denied by Judge William Shaffer.
Scott's attorney, Public Defender Joseph Smith, said his client was out on pretrial supervision at the time of these offenses, with these bonds being the only thing holding him in the county facility, and asked that the pretrial supervision from the unrelated cases be extended to these incidents, with Scott released.
First Assistant District Attorney Patricia McLean argued that pretrial supervision “obviously wasn't working” as Scott continued to commit crimes while awaiting court proceedings in other cases.
“These are quite low bonds and we would ask that they not be changed,” she said.
The charges stem from two incidents, on Aug. 9 and Sept. 2.
In the August incident, Scott was charged with misdemeanor retail theft in Butler. He was arraigned and bail was set at $1,500.
He was also charged with felony robbery and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia after an incident at Friedman's supermarket on West Brady Street on Sept. 2.
City police said Scott attempted to steal a pack of doughnuts and a jug of milk, and struggled with an employee. The employee and a good Samaritan were able to hold Scott until police arrived.
When he was arrested, police said he was also found in possession of an empty stamp bag of suspected heroin, a used syringe and a spoon that appeared to have drug residue on it.
He was arraigned at the same time as the other case, and bail was set at $2,000. Scott is scheduled for formal arraignment in those cases on Oct. 24.
He also has several pending cases, including one for burglary and theft in Slippery Rock, and two for shoplifting in Butler and Butler Township.
