Bonds were set in two unrelated murder cases here yesterday, and bond has been lowered in another case, a child abuse case, following court hearings.
But in all the cases, those charged were still in jail as of this morning.
A bond of $150,000 was set for Tiffany Taylor, who is charged with murdering her mother, Theresa Parramoure, last year.
A bond of $150,000 was set for Christopher James Shuffett, charged with murder in the beating death of his girlfriend's one month old baby last year.
And a $100,000 bond has been reduced to $50,000 for John Sepeda, charged with abuse of his 6-year-old stepson last summer.
In the Tiffany Taylor case:
Ms. Taylor, who turned 17 last Monday and who gave birth to a baby girl last month, has been held in the Putnam Juvenile Detention Center since November of 1996 when her mother was found stabbed to death in her bed in their Fisk Road home.
She will be tried as an adult and currently has a court date of Feb. 9 for that trial.
Her grandfather said the girl could live in his home, as she had done in the past before being taken to live with her mother last year.
The baby born to Ms. Taylor is currently living with her father, Ronnie Taylor, and his family.
Assistant District Attorney Lillie Ann Sells opposed setting a bond, telling Judge Leon Burns that the girl might flee if released from jail.
Judge Burns set bond at $150,000. Officials at the Putnam Juvenile Detention Center said this morning that Ms. Taylor had not posted bond and was still being held there.
Investigators allege that Ms. Taylor, who was a student at Cookeville High, used a knife to stab her mother to death while she slept and then lied to law officers before confessing. Allegedly, she and her mother had argued over some boys the girl has been seeing.
Ms. Taylor is represented by attorneys Joe Edwards and Phil Parsons.
In the Christopher James Shuffett case:
Shuffett, 26, was jailed April of 1996 after the infant son of his girlfriend, Sharon Modell Murray, was found dead in bed one morning. Ms. Murray is also charged with murder in the case, has been undergoing mental evaluations, and is still in jail.
The baby, Christopher James M urray, just 34 days old, was found dead in the E. 17th St. apartment Sharon Murray and Shuffett shared with Shuffett's mother.
The baby had several broken bones and died from "trauma to the head," investigators said.
In the bond hearing for Shuffett in Criminal Court yesterday, Assistant DA Ben Fann called one of Shuffett's fellow jail inmated, Troy Grasty, to the stand.
Grasty testified that Shuffett has told him about the baby's death, Asst. DA Fann said.
Allegedly, Shuffett told Grasty the baby had kept him and Ms. Murray awake crying that night and that he put his hand on the baby's chest and shoved it down onto the bed. Grasty said Shuffett told him the baby did not make any more noise and that he himself went back to sleep.
Shuffett is represented by attorney Marti Crawford.
Judge Burns set bond for Shuffett at $150,000. He was still in jail this morning.
A trial date of Jan. 27 has been set in the case.
In the John Sepeda case:
Bond for Sepeda, 36, was lowered from $100,000 to $50,000 after a recent court hearing, but Sepeda remains in jail, and no date for trial in his case has been set.
His wife, Skyla Sepeda, charged in the same case, posted bond and was released shortly after the two were arrested in July.
The two are charged with abusing her 6-year-old son, Christopher Smith.
Neighbors found the child in the driveway of the Sepeda home. He had been beaten and left home alone, his legs bound with handcuffs and his mouth taped with electrical tape, investigators say.
Sepeda is represented by attorney Craig Fickling.