Derrick Thompson remains in custody after initial court appearance

Accused in the motor vehicle-related deaths of five young women on June 16, Thompson made his first court appearance in the case last Friday.

The story continues to make national headlines (CNN, NY Daily News).

Thompson faces ten felony counts for the five deaths, which occurred at the intersection of Lake Street and 2nd Avenue in south Minneapolis.

Thompson reportedly arrived at the brief in-person court hearing in a wheelchair, owing to the hip injury he suffered in the car crash.

At the hearing, the judge confirmed the state’s offer of $1 million bail in the case, or an equivalent bond with conditions. Thompson has yet to post either and was returned to custody after the hearing.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that,

The jail is also holding Thompson because he was on parole from a California conviction and he’ll likely have a federal hold because the U.S. attorney’s office charged him this week, said Senior Hennepin County Attorney Judith Cole.

Thompson has yet to make a court appearance in the related, Federal case involving drug and gun charges.

According to the Hennepin County jail roster, Thompson remains in custody as of now (Monday afternoon). The roster includes an interesting item: it would appear that Thompson is the subject of a third hold, perhaps related to a local parole/probation violation.

He has been granted a public defender in the case. His next hearing in the state case is scheduled for July 21.

As with his father, former state Rep. John D. Thompson (DFL-St. Paul), some of the younger Thompson’s older cases still show unpaid court fines outstanding.