By ALLISON GOODRICH – agoodrich@shawmedia.com
WOODSTOCK — Gerard Golston, the Lake in the Hills man accused of threatening a Crystal Lake police officer in a rap video, was granted a reduced bond Monday under the condition that he would take up residency with his mom.
The 25-year-old, who has been in custody since Jan. 12, pleaded not guilty to threatening a public official earlier this month. On Monday, his mother appeared before McHenry County Judge Sharon Prather and testified that Golston would be allowed to live with her in Lake in the Hills, and that she would enforce certain conditions of his bail.
Prather granted a $10,000 reduction, making Golston’s bond $20,000.
The same request for a reduced bond was made in early February, but was denied when Golston couldn’t establish residence.
“I do anticipate he will be posting bond shortly,” said Golston’s defense attorney George Kililis, after the decision.
Both Golston and his mom testified he would abide by a number of conditions if he went to live with her including no alcohol intake, no Internet use, a curfew to be set and enforced by Golston’s mom, among others. His mom also agreed to bring him back and forth to court.
Assistant State’s Attorney David Metnick objected to the reduction in bond, citing the “seriousness” of the alleged crime and Golston’s prior criminal history.
The defendant had previously faced a drug charge in Carpentersville, which was dropped after Golston completed a second chance program, the prosecution said. The 2010 charge was verified by Kane County court records.
Kililis responded, saying the seriousness of the alleged threat remains to be seen and that his client was merely “fooling around” when he produced the rap.
Authorities say Golston’s rap, which was found while police were wading through public profiles on Facebook, was directed at Crystal Lake police officer Dimitri Boulhains, who once issued Golston a seat belt ticket. In the song, Golston says: “I’m gonna get the nine” and “I’m gonna pop you,” and “Officer Dimitri, where the [expletive] you at?”
The limits of free speech stop at threatening speech, according to case law. That determination has yet to be made in Golston’s case.
Source: Northwest Herald