Woulfe Makes Bail, No Longer In Will County Jail

JOLIET, IL - Five hours after a Will County judge lowered the $1 million bond to $250,000 for the 25-year-old man charged with 16 counts of reckless homicide, defendant Sean Woulfe emerged from the Will County Adult Detention Center, his place of residence the past four days. On Tuesday morning, Woulfe was arrested in the July 24 Beecher tragedy that killed a pregnant 29-year-old mother, Lindsey Schmidt, and her three young sons. At Friday's bond reduction hearing, Judge Carla Alessio Policandriotes sided with Joliet criminal defense attorney George Lenard who asked that his client's $1 million bond be lowered to $250,000. Jim Long appeared on behalf of the Will County's State's Attorney Office.

Booking logs reflect that Woulfe posted the required bond and was released from the jail's custody at 4:54 p.m. Friday. Several hours earlier in the day, Lenard told the judge that his client's family could come up with $25,000 in bail, which is 10 percent, of a $250,000 bond.

A $250,000 bond "is very reasonable under the circumstances," the lawyer said. "We feel that the bond presently set (at $1 million) is excessive, oppressive, and we ask the court to reduce it," Lenard said.

Lenard drove home a couple of themes during his successful legal arguments late Friday morning, a bond reduction hearing that lasted more than 30 minutes.

He emphasized the Beecher tragedy, though horrific, was not an intentional act. Woulfe is accused of barreling through a rural stop sign in Beecher, plowing into Lindsey Schmidt's vehicle, on a Monday morning. Lenard also stressed the reckless homicide charges against his client, are, under Illinois statue, probationary offenses. Theoretically, his client, even if convicted, still stands a decent chance of receiving court probation, as opposed to prison time, Woulfe's lawyer reminded the court.

"I think it's clear that Mr. Woulfe is not a danger to the community. It's clear he will appear in court," Lenard assured the judge as his client sat in a wheelchair wearing a red jail-issued jumpsuit in the courtroom. During most of the hearing, Woulfe sat with his arms rested on the wheelchair, staring down into his lap. About five minutes before the hearing began, his lawyer knelt beside him, and talked to him at length.

Woulfe, his attorney informed the court, has no prior criminal history. Moreover, toxicology tests performed after the fatal crash found no alcohol or drugs in his system, both sides acknowledged Friday at the Will County Courthouse.

Woulfe also has had a steady girlfriend of seven years, who lives with her parents in Beecher, Lenard told the judge. Woulfe previously lived in Manteno for about 10 years, after growing up around Oak Lawn. Several of the defendant's relatives were in the fourth-floor courtroom to watch Friday's proceedings.

"If his bond is reduced," Lenard told the judge, "he's going to live with his grandmother and mother (in Beecher) who are present here in court."

On the day of the deadly tragedy, Woulfe was on his way to his job at AT&T, his attorney said. He had just started at AT&T earlier this summer. Woulfe spent about a week in the hospital after the crash before being released on July 30.

"He had an opportunity to run if he wanted to run," Lenard pointed out. "He was not cuffed to a gurney at the hospital."

Long, the prosecutor, countered that Woulfe should not have his $1 million bond reduced by the court under any circumstances.

According to Long, the criminal investigation determined Woulfe was actually traveling 83 mph when he blew through the stop sign at the rural intersection. In essence, Woulfe was 28 mph over the 55 mph speed limit.

And this wasn't Woulfe's first instance of involving excessive speeding, Long informed the court.

In May 2012, Woulfe was given court supervision after being busted for driving 91 mph in a 55 mph zone in Manteno, Long noted. The intersection of the horrific crash was rural, an area used by farmers, tractors and people hauling livestock. "This is not an expressway or a highway," Long explained.

Besides the traffic citation for going 91 mph in a 55 mph zone, Woulfe also has a handful of other driving violations such as driving too fast for conditions and speeding on a bridge and driving on the wrong side of the road, the prosecution explained.

"This is not an accident," Long declared. "It's a homicide and it is reckless conduct."

And Woulfe's past driving record, notably the 91 mph speeding ticket from five years ago, clearly demonstrates he has not learned from his behavior, Long said.

Judge Policandriotes made few remarks before ruling in favor of the defendant's motion. She did, however, stipulate that as a condition of Woulfe's lowered bond he surrender his U.S. passport and he cannot operate a motor vehicle while his case is pending in Will County.

Will County Judge Carla Alessio Policandriotes

At Tuesday's press conference, State's Attorney James Glasgow told reporters that in all likelihood, Woulfe's case wouldn't go to trial for nine months to a year. Glasgow also said, realistically, the defendant was looking at a maximum prison term of about 10 years incarceration, if convicted.

Booking mugshot via Will County Sheriff's Department

Patch file image via Judge Policandriotes