BARDSTOWN, Ky. — Another development in the case of Brooks Houck has Bardstown residents talking after a judge refused to lower his bond.
Nelson County Circuit Judge Charles Sims III will keep Houck’s bond at $10 million.
The court believes Houck has access to substantial financial resources, making less than $10 million unreasonably low. Sims also states most defendants are a flight risk when facing life in prison and he said there is one or more cooperating witnesses, and the court is concerned for their safety.
“Someone with that much money, you never know what they can do,” Kenny Wilson, a Bardstown resident, said. “As far as the witnesses goes, nobody wants to see something else happen.”
The court wants the trial to be fair and impartial and believes the integrity of the proceedings are at stake because of the actions of the Houck family which they said deliberately engaged in misconduct.
“This has gone on [for] many years, they worked very hard to prosecute him to get the correct evidence and I believe now that they finally do have everything that they need,” Gillian Fell, another resident, said. “I think he should be held.”
Sam Marcosson, a Brandeis School of Law professor at the University of Louisville, recently predicted the judge would not budge on the bond. He said the behavior of the Houck family factored into that.
Marcosson cited reasons including the family unlawfully recording grand jury testimonies and potentially being involved in a murder or additional murder. He said those instances raise real concerns about whether additional crimes could be committed if Houck were released.
“Those are reasons the court can hold you without bail at all – without release at all. In this case, the judge didn't do that, but he certainly was not going to reduce the bond given those risks," he said.
Yet, some Bardstown residents still have questions they hope will be answered soon.
"I think everyone just wants to know why, what's the motive? Why Crystal? Why Tommy?" Wilson said.
Until then, most are hoping this gives the Ballard family some sense of peace.
RELATED VIDEO