FORT MYERS, Fla. — In a Lee County courtroom on Sunday morning, a Fort Myers police officer told a judge the victim from last Sunday's shooting is now paralyzed and remains in the hospital.
The officer was one of several people in the courtroom as Jasmine Battle, the suspected shooter, appeared in front of a judge. She appeared over video from jail, while her mother was in the courtroom.
"She's not the person that caused the big scene, she's a victim also," Battle's mom told the judge.
Battle's mom asked the judge for a reasonable bond for the three felony charges in connection to the shooting. Those include possession of a firearm or ammo by a convicted felon, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and firing into a vehicle, building or aircraft.
"You said even if my lawyer isn't here, I still might be held, right?" Battle asked the judge.
Her private attorney did not show up on Sunday, nor did he come on Saturday. However, Battle agreed to move forward. The judge set the bond for the new felony charges, but there was another issue to address.
"At the end of the day with the Widman warrant, until that is addressed, it's a hold of no bond," the judge told Battle.
A judge can issue a Widman warrant for a convicted felon and hold them with no bond. This law is named after Fort Myers officer Andrew Widman. He was killed in 2008 by a man police say was out on bail and had a warrant for his arrest.
In the case against Battle, court documents show she was on probation for another crime.
"We feel that she is a danger and a threat to the community," a Fort Myers officer told the judge.
It's one reason why the state also asked for the Widman warrant and a higher bond for the new felony charges. Her bond is set at $150,000, but again, the Widman warrant means she has no bond due to the probation violation.
Battle will be back in court for the Widman warrant on September 12 and then again for the shooting case on September 19.
