EVERETT—After six days of careful consideration, Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Anna Alexander denied Samuel Gizaw attorney’s request for the court to lower his client’s bail amount from $2 million to $790,000.
Judge Alexander heard oral arguments on September 4 from defense attorney Bryan Hershman, attorney for 16-year-old Gizaw who charged for the murder of 13-year-old Jayda Woods-Johnson, prosecuting attorney Elise Deschenes, and the victim’s mother, Tabatha Johnson.
Johnson reminded the court that the day of the hearing was the first day of school and how Gizaw’s fatal action robbed Jayda from being an eighth grader. She added that the parents of her daughter’s killer “couldn’t control” their son and they can’t be “trusted to do so now.”
“This lack of supervision only enabled him further, leading to the tragic events that have forever changed my family’s life,” said Johnson.
Jayda Woods-Johnson, was tragically killed while hanging out at Lynnwood’s Alderwood Mall on July 3, 2024, after being struck by a stray bullet allegedly fired by Gizaw who is being tried as an adult.
Prosecuting attorney Deschenes shared with the court, reports from a former friend of Gizaw of him brandishing firearms on social media and a “history of fighting.” At the time of Jayda’s murder, Gizaw was suspended from school due to his behavior. There are allegedly videos of multiple incidents of Gizaw engaged in fights and possessing firearms that were retrieved from his phone.
Defense attorney Hershman presented the court with a supervised plan for Gizaw if he is released. He also argued that the gun in 16-year-old Gizaw’s possession may have saved his life.
“He was going to get the snot kicked out of him and that was their intent and but for the fact that he had a gun on him, that’s what would have happened,” Hershman said.
Hershman argued that the family will use their $1.1 million home to post a property bond and requested the $2 million bail be reduced to $790,000, adding that Gizaw is not a flight risk and does not have a criminal record on file.
Judge Alexander ruled today, September 10, to not lower Gizaw’s $2 million bond amount but did grant permission for the the family to use their home as partial collateral in the bond and would still need to come up with the remaining monies.
