A member of an Atlanta-based band remained free on bond Wednesday after a judge delayed to Nov. 28 a bond revocation that had been scheduled for Monday, court officials said.
Blackberry Smoke’s Richard Turner is accused of violating several conditions of his bond, according to the state’s motion for bond revocation obtained Tuesday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The 51-year-old bassist is on tour supporting the band's fifth release, "Like An Arrow," which landed at No. 1on Billboard's Top County Albums chart two weeks in a row after its release.
Turner and the band played an opening-act gig at the Laid Back Festival Atlanta tour stop on Saturday.
He was indicted in December 2015 on a felony charge of stalking his ex-wife, Marianne Turner, with a GPS device.
Some of the conditions of his bond include not breaking any laws, not drinking alcohol and not taking drugs. Turner is also barred from contacting his ex-wife or son. He also may not possess firearms.
The state’s motion for bond revocation alleges Turner has “very serious charges pending” and violated all of those conditions.
The motion says Turner called his son and asked detailed questions about the ex-wife’s financial status, her activities and the legal matters pertaining to Turner and his ex-wife.
Not only has Turner allegedly “ingested marijuana on numerous occasions,” according to the motion, he has also refused to give up his weapons and ammunition.
“Defendant recently posted photographs on social media referring to himself and a second male as ‘gun bunnies,’” the motion states.
“The State feels that all parties involved have given Defendant a tremendous amount of leeway on this Court’s bond conditions and Defendant has taken advantage of that by violating this Court’s bond conditions,” the original motion states, asking the judge to remand Turner to Cobb County jail until trial.
Turner's attorney is Maddox Kilgore, who is defending Justin Ross Harris on murder charges in Glynn County. Kilgore requested and was granted a continuance in the Turner case, an official with the judge's office confirmed Tuesday.
Cobb County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Kim Isaza said usually a bond revocation hearing would be attended by another attorney, but in Turner’s case his attorney filed for “leave of court” because he is in Brunswick. Isaza said Judge Greg Poole made the decision to allow the bond revocation hearing to be continued to Nov. 28.
Multiple attempts to reach Turner’s attorney and management for Blackberry Smoke went unanswered.
Turner’s trial is scheduled to begin Dec. 5 in Cobb County Superior Court.
He is also facing a civil suit, which was filed Thursday by Marianne Turner.
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