Judge Russell Canan ordered that Howard Randolph be removed from a halfway house Wednesday after Randolph was found with two packs of K2, a synthetic cannabis, while he awaited trial.
Howard, 25, was indicted in December on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the death of 21-year-old Rayshawn Hailstock in June 2013.
Prosecutors believe that Hailstock died after a single punch from Randolph knocked him unconscious and he fell to the sidewalk.
Hailstock was found unconscious in the 2300 block of Alabama Southeast on June 30. He later died at the hospital and the cause of death was reported to be from blunt impact injuries to the head and neck.
In January, Canan did not find substantial probability that Randolph was responsible for the death of Hailstock and released him to a halfway house.
During Wednesday’s bond review hearing, defense attorney Katerina Semyonova reminded the court that Howard “did not intend to kill another person,” and asked he be placed back at the halfway house. She said Howard had received the K2 from someone who had brought him a pack of sodas and he did not know the package contained any drugs.
“He’s been detained for two to three weeks on the matter; this should be a serious message of how he is supposed to behave in a halfway house your honor,” said Semyonova.
Plea negotiations between the two parties are ongoing, though there is disagreement. Defense attorneys will consider pleading to a simple assault charge, but prosecutors don’t believe that is sufficient.
A trial readiness hearing is set for May 30 at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Canan.
