Four Pittsfield, Massachusetts teenagers were arraigned Monday on rape charges in the alleged sexual assault of an eighteen year old female UMass Amherst student. Bail was set at $10,000 for each of the suspects, along with an extensive list of bail conditions.
If any of the four Pittsfield men charged in the case are able to make bail, they’ll have to adhere to a set of eighteen bail conditions, as set by Judge Mary Hurley. Conditions include staying over 100 yards from the victim at all times, refraining from drug and alcohol use, a daily curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., twice weekly probation reports, and 24/7 GPS monitoring. Three of the defendants are 18-years-old, the fourth is 17. None of them are UMass students.
Marissa Elkins is a criminal defense attorney based in Northampton. She says the bail conditions are more extensive than she thinks is necessary in the case, given the defendants are scheduled to return to court in December. She says coupled with the $10,000 bail, the conditions are especially harsh.