A Springville man accused of stealing copper from a business in Corfu has a chance of getting out of jail today after his bail was reduced to $10,000 cash or bond.
Scott J. Taylor, 45, was originally jailed without bail after being arrested late Monday night on the property of Ed Arnold Scrap Processors on Angling Road.
Taylor was originally held without bail when he was arraigned in Pembroke Town Court because lower courts are required to hold suspects with prior felony convictions.
His attorney, Keith Perla, of Buffalo, asked for the bail review hearing and argued that Taylor should be released under supervision because Taylor has a history of making his court dates and lives on a farm where he cares for his elderly mother.
Assistant District Attorney Robert Zickl argued that bail for Taylor should be set at $50,000 because of his four prior felonies in four different counties -- all for similar crimes and wrapped into a single one-year prison sentence more than seven years ago -- and because Taylor faces being labled a persistent felony offender (meaning a longer jail term).
Zickl also said Taylor allegedly made statements indicating he has a compulsion to steal.
According to Perla, a report by Genesee Justice on Taylor said Taylor was eligible for release under supervision.
Zickl said the current grading system doesn't give sufficient weight to the multiple prior felonies.
Judge Robert C. Noonan said he helped draft the bail review point system and agreed it didn't put multiple prior felony convictions in proper context, but because for larceny type of crimes, he isn't likely to find a defendant a persistent felony offender, he didn't think a high bail was required.
Taylor is accused of entering the scrap yard five times in April and May. He is charged with four counts of grand larceny, 4th, one count of attempted grand larceny and five counts of criminal trespass, 3rd.
