Bail for Bishop Set at $2.5 Million

The Baltimore bishop charged in a December hit-and-run involving a bicyclist in Roland Park is being held on $2.5 million bail, an amount her attorney unsuccessfully contested Monday at a bail review hearing, according to reports.

Clad in a pink jumpsuit, Bishop Heather Elizabeth Cook, 58, appeared through video from Baltimore City’s Central Booking facility, according to The Baltimore Sun, which reported she said nothing during the hearing.

Cook has been in custody since Friday, when she turned herself in to authorities and a judge set bail at $2.5 million, WBAL reported.

On Friday, nearly two weeks after the hit-and-run that took the life of 41-year-old cyclist Thomas Palermo, the Baltimore City state’s attorney said authorities were pressing charges, alleging Cook was texting and drunk (registering 0.22 blood alcohol content) at the time of the Dec. 27 crash.

Cook has been charged with negligent manslaughter, criminal manslaughter, negligent vehicular homicide while under the influence and negligent vehicular homicide while impaired, court records show.

The assistant state’s attorney said Cook was a flight risk, since she allegedly left the scene of the Roland Avenue crash for at least 30 minutes before returning, according to Fox 45.

The assistant state’s attorney also asked that Cook be held without bail, citing her previous drunk driving conviction in 2010 and calling her a “danger to public safety,” WBAL reported.

Cook’s lawyer said that since the crash, his client had been attending a 28-day treatment program at Father Martin’s Ashley in Havre de Grace and requested that bail be reduced to $500,000 so she could continue on in the program or be on “home monitoring,” The Baltimore Sun reported.

Judge Nicole Pastore Klein said that Cook has shown a “reckless and careless indifference to life” and could not be trusted outside of jail, so bail remained at $2.5 million, according to The Sun.

Cook, who became the first female bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland last year, has been placed on administrative leave.

Her next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 6.

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Related:

• Bishop Drunk, Texting at Time of Fatal Bike Crash: State’s Attorney
• More Than 700 Take Memorial Ride to Honor Anneslie Cyclist
• Funeral Service Planned for Cyclist Thomas Palermo, 41
• Maryland Bishop Investigated in Fatal Bike Crash
• Bicyclists Plan Memorial Ride for Thomas Palermo
• Maryland Bishop Accused Of Killing Bicyclist Has Drunk Driving History
• Diocese Knew of Bishop’s DUI, ‘Practiced Forgiveness’