Professor Jonathan Witmer-Rich appeared on WKYC Channel 3 to discuss bail issues in the prosecution of Gregory Moore for the murder of Eliza Sherman. Moore is charged with stabbing Sherman to death in 2013.

Moore was arrested in Texas and extradited to Ohio, and in May 2025, the trial court set his bond at $2 million. On July 3, Moore posted the bond and was released without other restrictions, such as surrendering his passport.

Professor Witmer-Rich explained that the trial court likely believed Moore would not be able to post such a large bond. He said, “The reason there aren’t other restrictions on the defendant, I think, is that the judge assumed that by setting a $2 million bond, the defendant wouldn’t be able to be released.” 

Professor Witmer-Rich noted that Ohio trial judges often use large bail amounts instead of ordering defendants to be detained, but that this practice has risks. He explained, “If they have concerns about danger, they just jack up the bail amount to something really high. They pick a really big number — like $2 million — and that’s, I think, what the judge did here. $2 million, that means the defendant is not going to get out, and that was set back at the end of May, but in this case, within about a month, the defendant put together whatever he put together, and as soon as you post your $2 million, you’re out.”