Low Bond for Bible Passage OK

Low bond for Bible passage OK

The Cincinnati Enquirer, July 12, 2007

After a Hamilton County judge got national attention in April for giving a favorable bond to an inmate who recited a Bible passage, the Ohio Supreme Court has decided he did nothing wrong and the complaint against him was dismissed.

"I still don’t see anything wrong with it," Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge John Burlew said today.

Burlew was on the bench April 25 when Eric Hine came before Burlew charged with receiving stolen property after police said he had a stolen credit card on him.

The attorney for Hine, 43, of Corryville, hoped to get a bond low enough that Hine could make so he could get out of jail. To ensure that those charged with crimes return to court, judges often order they be released only after bonds -- usually money - are set. When that is done, if the person doesn’t return to court, the money is forfeited and an arrest warrant issued.

Hine’s attorney wanted to show Hine in the best light possible hoping to get the lower bond, so he told Burlew that Hine had a fulltime job and was a regular member of an Avondale church.

The skeptical judge decided to test Hine’s holy allegations.

Burlew told Hine if he could recite the entire 23rd Psalm, he’d let Hine out of jail with just his signature.

"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want," Hine began.

After Hine recited the psalm’s six verses and 188 words, an impressed Burlew -- who now believed Hine regularly attended church -- kept the deal and released Hine from jail.

Within 24 hours, Burlew’s actions were discussed on international television and radio broadcasts.

That got the attention of David Palmer, a Folsom, Calif., man who portrays himself as an avenger against unjust public officials.

Palmer filed a complaint with the Ohio Supreme Court against Burlew, accusing the judge of "egregious conduct" for giving Hine a lesser bond because of Hine’s religious beliefs.

"I would suggest that you seriously consider resigning from the bench in order that you can be replaced by someone that is not ethically deprived," Palmer wrote to Burlew in an April 27 letter, written two days after Hine was in court.

Palmer also filed the complaint with the Supreme Court.

Burlew insisted he didn’t give Hine the low bond because Hine was a Christian and knew the Bible. The judge asked Hine to recite the passage only to test Hine’s assertion he was a regular churchgoer.

The Supreme Court agreed last week and dismissed Palmer’s complaint.

"I wasn’t real worried about what they would do," Burlew said today.

Hine later pleaded guilty to the receiving stolen property charge. A sentence is pending.

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