Woman DELETES Evidence… Judge DOUBLES Her Bond to $100K

Woman DELETES Evidence… Judge DOUBLES Her Bond to $100K

Deleted Texts, a Fatal Hit-and-Run, and a Doubled Bond: Inside Courtroom Arguments

Preview: During a pivotal hearing, prosecutors revealed that a Michigan defendant accused of a fatal hit-and-run deleted approximately 150 text messages and hid her vehicle following the crash. Despite defense arguments highlighting months of strict compliance and community ties, the judge doubled her bond to one hundred thousand dollars, emphasizing the newly uncovered evidence and public safety risks.

Unfolding the Fatal Timeline and Deleted Evidence

The legal battle escalated during the second probable cause conference for Courtney Waldick, facing charges connected to the January 2024 death of Shelley Mason on Prospect Road. The prosecution renewed a request for a $100,000 bond, arguing that the investigative scope had expanded dramatically since the initial arraignment.

According to the state, Waldick had been drinking with friends before driving home and striking Mason. Rather than immediately calling emergency services, Waldick allegedly returned home in a panic. While her roommate, Sarah, had witnessed the victim walking along the shoulder moments prior, Waldick initially told police she believed she had hit a deer. Investigators later discovered a much darker reality: roughly 150 text messages had been deleted from Waldick’s phone prior to turning it over to law enforcement. The purged messages included statements about being heavily intoxicated, wishing she had called 911 immediately, and the need to get her vehicle fixed as soon as possible. Furthermore, authorities located the damaged Jeep hidden inside a closed garage only after executing a search warrant.

Defense Pushback and the Eighth Amendment Debate

Defense counsel strongly opposed the bond hike, emphasizing that Waldick had been entirely compliant for the preceding two months. Operating under an alcohol tether and checking in weekly with community corrections, Waldick had attended every scheduled court appearance without a single violation.

The defense cited the Eighth Amendment alongside state statutes and case law, arguing that bail amounts must not exceed what is reasonably necessary to ensure a defendant’s appearance in court. Highlighting Waldick’s lack of a prior criminal record, local employment at a hospital, and deep family ties to the area, the defense maintained that she posed neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community, making the proposed bond increase an unwarranted abuse of discretion.

The Court’s Ruling: Protecting the Public and Addressing Concealment

The presiding judge addressed the friction in the courtroom head-on, explaining that the initial magistrate had set the original bond without the benefit of the newly surfaced text messages and comprehensive witness statements.

Weighing the gravity of the allegations—including the severe delay in seeking help, the concealment of evidence, and the deliberate destruction of text messages—the court determined that the original bond no longer adequately reflected the risk profile of the case. Consequently, the judge ordered Waldick’s bond increased to $100,000 cash surety, binding the matter over to circuit court for a pre-trial appearance scheduled for May 2nd, 2024.