A Michigan mother accused in a fatal crash that killed her young son asked a judge to lower her $150,000 cash bond, with her attorney arguing that she had strong ties to the community and little criminal history while prosecutors pointed to allegations involving speeding, alcohol, amphetamine and THC.
Courtroom footage published by The Court Docket Network shows Danyelle Pressey appearing before Judge Cedric J. Simpson as Assistant Public Defender Michael Gatti asked the court to reconsider the bond while the case moved toward further litigation.
The prosecution opposed the request, describing a crash in which Pressey was allegedly traveling around 60 mph before hitting a tree, killing her 7-year-old son, who prosecutors said had not been properly restrained in the rear seat.
After hearing both sides, Simpson refused to reduce the bond.
“The court does consider defendant a risk to public safety,” the judge said.
Defense Points to Work, Family and No Recent Criminal History
Gatti began by acknowledging the seriousness of the case but argued that Pressey had several factors weighing in favor of release.
He told Simpson that Pressey had no meaningful criminal history during the previous 13 years, aside from an old operating-while-intoxicated matter dating to 2012.
She lived in the Metro Detroit area, he said, owned a brick-and-mortar nail salon and cared for her disabled mother.
Gatti repeatedly stressed that Pressey had roots in the community and was not someone likely to flee while the case was pending.
“She’s not a flight risk in any way,” he told the court.
He asked Simpson to consider either a substantial bond reduction or a personal bond, offering electronic monitoring as an alternative if the judge believed additional safeguards were necessary.
According to Gatti, Pressey was willing to submit to both a SCRAM alcohol-monitoring device and GPS tethering.
The defense position was straightforward: whatever the ultimate outcome of the case, Gatti argued that Pressey could remain in the community under strict conditions while her attorneys reviewed the evidence and prepared for litigation.
Prosecutor Describes the Fatal Crash
The prosecution responded with the allegations underlying the case, and those details quickly shifted the focus back to public safety.
The prosecutor told Simpson that Pressey had allegedly been traveling around 60 mph on Mars Road, which he believed had a speed limit closer to 45 mph.
He also laid out the toxicology evidence.
Pressey’s blood alcohol concentration was reported as 0.038, below the standard 0.08 per se limit for alcohol alone, but prosecutors said testing also found approximately 200 nanograms per milliliter of amphetamine and 2.7 nanograms of THC in her system.
The prosecutor then described the most serious consequence of the crash.
Pressey’s son, who was 7 years old according to the courtroom presentation, was seated in the rear and allegedly not properly belted when the vehicle struck a tree.
He died in the crash.
The prosecutor called the facts “awfully tragic” and said he did not believe the existing bond had been set improperly.
He also expressed concern about Pressey’s potential conduct while the case remained pending.
Defense Says Amphetamine Was Prescribed
Gatti responded by challenging some of the implications surrounding the toxicology results.
He told the court that the amphetamine was believed to be prescribed medication, apparently referring to Adderall, and he again emphasized that Pressey’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.038.
He also noted that the crash had happened months earlier and argued that Pressey had comported herself appropriately during the period before the current hearing.
That, in his view, supported the argument that she could safely remain out of custody while the case continued.
Gatti also reminded the judge that Pressey had responsibilities to her family and business and that the case involved a substantial amount of discovery that still needed to be reviewed.
He told Simpson that the matter was likely to be heavily litigated.
There is an important distinction here between acknowledging the tragedy and deciding what bond conditions are appropriate before a final determination of guilt.
The defense was not asking the court to minimize the death of Pressey’s son; it was arguing that pretrial detention should be based on current flight and safety risks rather than punishment before the case was resolved.
Judge Simpson Keeps the $150,000 Cash Bond
Simpson was not persuaded.
After hearing from both sides, he denied the bond reduction and left the existing $150,000 cash bond in place.
“The court does consider defendant a risk to public safety,” Simpson said.
The ruling was brief, but it made clear that the judge placed greater weight on the allegations surrounding the crash than on the defense’s arguments about Pressey’s employment, family obligations and lack of recent criminal history.
That is often the central tension in bond hearings involving serious allegations: the court must weigh a defendant’s record and community ties against the specific conduct alleged in the current case.
Here, Simpson concluded that the public-safety concern remained too significant to justify reducing the bond.
Written Motion Could Bring the Issue Back
Gatti did not give up on the bond issue after the oral request was denied.
He asked whether the defense could file a written motion and have the matter heard again.
The prosecutor agreed to waive formal notice requirements as long as the defense did not wait until the last moment to file it, prompting a brief lighter exchange in an otherwise somber hearing.
Simpson indicated that the court would consider an early hearing once the written motion was received.
That means the bond question was not necessarily closed permanently, even though the immediate request failed.
A more detailed written motion could allow the defense to present additional records, monitoring proposals or other information aimed at addressing Simpson’s public-safety concerns.
Case Centers on a Deeply Personal Loss
The courtroom exchange was notable because Pressey was not only facing criminal allegations arising from the crash; the person who died was her own child.
That creates a particularly difficult dynamic in a case where prosecutors are alleging criminal responsibility for a death that would already represent an enormous personal loss.
The defense leaned heavily on Pressey’s stability, work and caregiving responsibilities, while prosecutors focused on the alleged driving behavior, toxicology findings and the way her son was restrained.
Simpson ultimately treated the allegations as serious enough to keep the cash bond in place.
The hearing itself did not determine Pressey’s guilt, and the defense made clear that there was substantial evidence still to examine.
For the moment, though, the judge’s decision was that Pressey would not be released on a reduced or personal bond simply because she had strong community ties and no recent criminal history.
The court’s focus remained on the circumstances of the crash and whether those allegations showed an ongoing risk to public safety while the case proceeded.
Gary’s love for adventure and preparedness stems from his background as a former Army medic. Having served in remote locations around the world, he knows the importance of being ready for any situation, whether in the wilderness or urban environments. Gary’s practical medical expertise blends with his passion for outdoor survival, making him an expert in both emergency medical care and rugged, off-the-grid living. He writes to equip readers with the skills needed to stay safe and resilient in any scenario.
