Michael Skakel, a Kennedy cousin, had been behind bars for 11 years for the murder of teenager Martha Moxley. But on Thursday, he was released on $1.2 million bond, a month after he was granted a new trial.
Judge Gary White also ordered Skakel not to leave Connecticut and he will wear a GPS tracking device, reports Reuters. Skakel was convicted in 2002 of the murder of Moxley when they were 15. Moxley was a neighbor of Skakel’s in Greenwich, Conn.
Last month, a judge overturned the conviction, agreeing that Skakel was poorly represented in 2002, reports NBC News. Prosecutors did appeal that decision, but could not oppose his release on bond. They did argue that the bond should be set much more than the $500,000 his defense was arguing for considering the family’s wealth.
Hubert Santos, Skakel’s new attorney called his client “one of the most recognizable faces in the country” and said he should not be considered a flight risk. But the prosecutors didn’t agree as Bridgeport State attorney John Smriga noted that the crime was a “brutal murder.”
Skakel was originally sentenced to 20 years to life and then made several appeals. He also appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, but they wouldn’t hear the case. However, one argument that Connecticut Superior Court Judge Thomas Bishop agreed with was that his original attorney was incompetent. Last month, Bishop noted several errors made by the attorney, including the fact that he didn’t bring up Skakel’s older brother as a possible suspect.
According to USA Today, Moxley’s brother, John, did speak with the press.
“We stand behind the state,” he said. “We are confident that Judge [Thomas] Bishop's decision will be overturned. But if there is another trial we will be here for that, too.”