Coleman out on bond
Judge corrects release oversite, orders arson suspect wear monitoring device

By Leslie Wood
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Former police officer and accused arsonist Steve Coleman was released without electronic monitoring from the McKinley County Adult Detention Center on Tuesday morning after he posted a $100,000 cash-only bond.

However, the discrepency was quickly resolved when the district attorney's office contacted District Judge Robert Aragon who signed an amended order, which required Coleman to wear a tracking bracelet.

A McKinley County grand jury indicted Coleman on 13 felony counts on Aug. 1 in connection with an arson at a local treatment center and a shooting at a local deputy's residence.

Aragon increased Coleman's bond from a $100,000 cash or surety to a cash amount on Friday afternoon at the request of the local district attorney's office which classifed Coleman as a "threat to the community."

And by about 11 a.m. Monday morning, Coleman's wife, Liz, posted the amount in the form of a certified check and he was released from custody without any form of electronic monitoring.

According to the jail's warden, Donna Goodrich, an order for an ankle bracelet, equipped with a GPS tracking system, was not contained in the newly revised conditions for Coleman's release.

She did not know whether court officials deliberately witheld the provision from Coleman's paperwork or if it was an oversight.

But Deputy District Attorney Alfred Walker said his office immediately contacted Aragon about the situation when it was learned Coleman had been released without any form of monitoring.

"The judge's order does not contain the provision," Walker said on Tuesday afternoon. " ... We thought it would. We are going to address that."

Within the hour, Walker said the situation had been resolved, and Aragon agreed to sign an amended order.

He said the district attorney's office would fax a copy of the order to the jail. Pre-trial release officials would then locate Coleman, who was still ordered to remain under house arrest, and issue a tracking bracelet.

Coleman is allowed to leave his residence for medical emergencies, to meet with his attorney and to go to court.