Cadesha Bishop, 25, center, listens to a court officer as her her attorney Baylie Hellman looks on after Bishop’s preliminary hearing at the Regional Justice Center on Thursday, May 23, 2019, in Las Vegas. Bishop was arrested May 6 on a murder charge in the death of Serge Fournier, who was pronounced dead on April 23 from complications of blunt force injuries he suffered a month earlier. Bishop is accused of shoving the 74-year-old man off a public bus after witnesses say he asked her to be nice to other passengers. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — There is more to know than a bus security video clip has shown about the case of a 25-year-old woman accused of killing a 74-year-old man by shoving him off a public bus in Las Vegas, an attorney defending the woman on a murder charge said Thursday.
Cadesha Michelle Bishop’s attorney, Michael Becker, acknowledged intense media interest in what he called the tragedy. He said “circumstances and events … that have yet to be made public” preceded Serge Fournier’s death. Becker declined to provide specifics.
“By no means did Ms. Bishop intend to kill Mr. Fournier,” the attorney said in an email to The Associated Press. “We definitely intend to contest the charges.”
Fournier died April 23, a little more than month after falling face-first from the Regional Transportation Commission bus to a sidewalk near his home in downtown Las Vegas.
The Clark County coroner ruled his death a homicide resulting from his injuries.
Witnesses told police that Fournier, who had a wheeled walker or collapsible grocery cart with him, had asked Bishop to be nice to other passengers.
Bishop appeared Thursday with Becker’s associate, Baylie Hellman, before a Las Vegas judge who rescheduled a preliminary hearing of evidence in the case for July 17.
Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron let Bishop remain free on $100,000 bond with strict electronic monitoring.
The judge addressed a local public outcry about Bishop being allowed to post bail with a statement that noted another justice of the peace and a pro-tem justice signed off on Bishop’s arrest warrant and bail conditions.
Bennett-Haron posted in the court record “notice to the public that Justice Court is fair and impartial.”
Prosecutors have served notice they might take the case to a grand jury before the preliminary hearing, which would be held to decide if there is enough evidence for Bishop to face trial in state court.
Police released the security video May 15, saying investigators still sought witnesses to the incident.
By KEN RITTER
© Copyright 2019 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Have her children been removed from her custody? This is her 3rd arrest for violence. The child was present when she committed murder. She should lose parental rights!
I can’t believe she’s out on bail. No body seems to care about the vitim that lost his life.
“’circumstances and events … that have yet to be made public’” preceded Serge Fournier’s death. Becker declined to provide specifics” Vile. And with these secret documents my client will be fully exonerated.
how can you that ,he could be ur dad or grandad how would u like it if i do the same to them ,monsters u need too be lock up…ur lucky i wasnt inside the bus bc i would kick ur nasty ass n drag u by ur hair outside;judge dnt have mercy lock her up for life
Disgusting woman. She’s a danger to society. That’s what’s wrong today-people walking on the sidewalk, in the subway, w/their children & being slashed, attacked, thrown against a train or onto the tracks. No one is addressing the fact that the gates opened & all the mental cases were let out to “save money”, Who will save the people! She’s a menace & should certainly NOT be raising children!