Schuylkill judge won’t reduce bail for Christy

Shawn Richard Christy, 27, the McAdoo man who failed to appear in Schuylkill County Court and eluded authorities for three months, petitioned the Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas for a bail reduction.

Judge Charles M. Miller denied that request last week.

Christy had also petitioned the Schuylkill court for bail reduction last year; that request was denied Nov. 15.

Christy was being held in Lackawanna County Prison but was transported to Schuylkill County for the bail reduction motion hearing. Christy was present for the hearing, representing himself, with Schuylkill County Assistant District Attorney McCall Young for the commonwealth. Christy will be held in Schuylkill County prison because his next court appearance is scheduled for Schuylkill County Court, a pretrial conference March 22.

Christy faces federal and local charges, with local charges including Schuylkill and Carbon counties. The federal charges stem from alleged Facebook threats to Northampton District Attorney John M. Morganelli and President Donald Trump; Christy threatened to shoot both.

Local charges include four felony counts of aggravated assault and two misdemeanors for simple assault after police say Christy swung a large stick at McAdoo Mayor Stephan Holly in 2017. Christy and his father were later charged with harassment for numerous telephone calls to McAdoo and Kline Township police regarding the assault case. Additional local charges include crimes Christy allegedly committed during his 113-day flight.

Christy’s flight from the law began in June 2018 when he failed to appear for jury selection for his trial on charges that he assaulted Holly. He traveled to Maryland, New York, West Virginia, Kentucky and Maryland, reportedly stealing vehicles and firearms along the way, before he was captured in Ohio Sept. 20.

In Carbon County court, in December, Christy had filed various petitions asking for some charges against him to be dismissed and asking for bail reductions. On Feb. 26, in a pretrial conference before Judge Joseph J. Matika, Christy withdrew his petitions, stating, “I just want my trial date.”

Christy represented himself in Carbon County Court, although an Allentown lawyer, Andrew Theyken Bench, was present in case he wanted advice. Assistant District Attorney Joseph D. Perilli presented the Carbon County charges.