Had Winters filed by the 89th day or for an extension by the 89th day, the judge could have ruled no bond. If the judge ruled no bond then McDaniel has the right to a speedy trial and the clock would have started- and for no good reason. McDaniel is NOT getting out on bond. The child *advertiser censored* charges carry several years EACH. So why start the clock if more evidence is coming from the FBI and the body has not been recovered. Why the death penalty? First, why not? But second, the death penalty threat is the only hope of recovering Lauren's body which would not only bring closure to the family but also likely confirm the cause of death. About the blog used in court- It was not considered for bond. However, it was the defense who insisted that it get thrown out- that McDaniel didn't write it. It will be very hard for McDaniel to use that post in the future to plea bargain, that it was an accident, that Lauren took the drink on her own free will, that he panicked, when she OD'd - That he doesn't even have a speeding ticket, a law school graduate, he just snapped.
http://onlineathens.com/stories/081805/new_20050818057.shtml
The man who was convicted is due to be released this year, I believe. This is not what we want for Lauren. While no one will rest until Lauren's killer is convicted and until this is over, nothing can be taken for granted, perhaps at this point in the game, Greg Winters should be given a chance to do his job. This trial is on Winter's turf. He knows the system in Macon. Furthermore, business law- things like taxes and closings are quite different from prosecution law. It's too soon to judge Winters as harshly as he is being judged.
