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Judge sets Parks bail at $200,000

December 24, 2009, 11:43 am

The bail amount in the Silas Parks murder trial has been set at $200,000.

Second District Judge Jeff Brudie of Lewiston set the amount in a written statement shortly before noon Thursday.

Parks is entitled to bail under Idaho law after Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson decided in October not to seek the death penalty in the case. There has been no indication from Parks on whether he or his family will be able to post the set bail amount.

Defense attorney Ray Barker asked at a bond hearing last Friday to have bail set at $100,000, noting the limited financial assets of the Parks family and of Silas himself. Thompson asked for bail to be set at $500,000, noting the serious nature of the charges against Parks.

The bond agreement includes several restrictions. Parks would be required to reside at his parents farm outside of Kendrick and is restricted from traveling outside of the 2nd Judicial District, which includes Latah, Clearwater, Idaho, Lewis and Nez Perce counties. He also would be prohibited from possessing or consuming alcohol, must turn over his passport, present himself to the Latah County Sheriff’s office at 10 a.m. every Monday and Friday until the trial’s completion. The trial is scheduled to start March 22.

Parks faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree arson in connection with the deaths of his wife, Sarah J. Parks, 28, and the couple’s unborn daughter. Sarah Parks was found in the couple’s burned-out duplex at 904 Vandal Drive on June 24.

An autopsy showed Sarah Parks and the fetus died of strangulation or suffocation prior to the fire.
Each first-degree murder charge carries the possibility of life in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. The arson charge carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.