Justice on a budget: 'Him sitting at home, it's not right'

EUGENE, Ore. - Meet an angry Wyatt Treadwell: he worked with the late Teresa Grondona at a market in Cottage Grove.

A man awaiting trial on charges accusing him of causing Grondona's death just got let out of jail with a GPS monitoring bracelet on his ankle because Lane County closed almost 100 jail beds this week, releasing inmates in three waves of 32 or so.

"It makes me so sick, and it's not right," Treadwell said. "He should pay for it, and him sitting at home, it's not right."

Teadwell is talking about 33-year-old Jeremy Christopher Henry, charged with DUII, reckless driving and manslaughter in the April 8 crash that killed Grondona.  

"You know it's just not fair," said Machele Sturgess, Grondona's sister. "He's out free until he goes to court, and the only thing our family can do is sit here and hope to God that he show up for court."

"He shouldn't have been released," Treadwell said, "and for him to think that he's one of the lesser of the violent people I think is a bunch of B.S."

District Attorney Alex Gardener said the county is faced with a horrible new normal: they can only keep the worst of the worst in jail.

"It's that simple," he said. "There's a risk assessment tool, and we keep the people who represent the greatest threat."

Which is no comfort for friends of Bryson Krissie, the Dexter volunteer firefighter who was run over and killed this month as he walked near Lane Community College.

The man charged in the fatal hit-and-run crash, Jason Manske, was released as part of the jail capacity reduction this week.

"I'm disappointed," said Capt. Jason Lyda with the Dexter Volunteer Fire Department. "I would have liked to have seen Mr. Manske stay in jail until his court date."

Treadwell said that, beyond the personal loss of his friend and co-worker, he feels deep frustration with what he calls a broken justice system.

"I know there's no money, but it just - the system's failing," Treadwell said. "We've got to figure out something because something like that, he shouldn't be out."