EMPORIUM (EC) — A bail modification hearing held last week paved the way for a local woman to be released from jail after 19 months of incarceration while awaiting trial on charges, including vehicular manslaughter.
Kaitlin (Crosby) Wolfel, 23, of Austin, appeared last week with her court-appointed attorney, Gary Knaresboro, for a bail reduction hearing in front of Judge Richard Masson.
Wolfel’s bail was modified from $50,000 straight cash to $30,000. The new bail amount was met shortly thereafter through a $5,000 payment and a $25,000 surety bond.
Masson mandated that Wolfel not be permitted to drive, drink alcohol or enter any establishment that serves alcohol. She must live at an approved family-member’s home in Emporium while awaiting a new trial date and will be supervised by the Cameron County Probation Department.
Deputy Attorney General George Zaiser, representing the Commonwealth, argued that Wolfel is a flight risk. Masson dismissed that argument, stating that Wolfel has no ties outside of the area and little money or resources at her disposal.
Wolfel is charged with homicide by vehicle while DUI, aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, DUI highest rate, DUI first offense, DUI combination of alcohol and controlled substance, and careless driving for an incident that occurred on Dec. 21, 2014, in which David Croyle, 62, of Emporium, was killed and another man was seriously injured on Old West Creek Road.
It is unclear, at this point, whether all the charges listed above will be pursued. A Supreme Court case, known as Burchfield vs. North Dakota, may require some of the charges to be dropped due to an issue with defendants being coerced into allowing blood draws. A motion was also filed to suppress some evidence due to the amount of time that elapsed between the crash and lab work.
