A man accused of shooting his cousin during a fight at a Father's Day gathering in Pleasantville was ordered held in jail.
Jose D. Campos, 30, allegedly went to his vehicle to retrieve a gun and then shot it at his brother during what was described in court as an alcohol-infused altercation.
A female cousin was struck instead.
Both family members were among several people wrote letters in support of Campos, his attorney pointed out during his detention hearing Friday.
"I think it’s a huge statement and it speaks volumes that (the victim) wrote a letter on behalf of Mr. Campos attesting to his character and background," Robin Lord said of the man's cousin.
"He always speaks positively and carries his religion very close to his heart," Lord read from the statement. "He's kind and always seeks peace. ... My cousin is a hardworking man for his family and has much self-respect.
But Assistant Prosecutor Katrina Koerner questioned the letter, saying it was not clear if the woman who is rehabbing from her wound was pressured into writing it, was medicated at the time or even whether she penned the letter herself.
Campos' brother, who was the alleged target, also wrote a letter on his behalf.
She said the brother has no recollection of the incident because he "was drunk as a skunk," but expressed support for his "baby brother" in his letter to the court.
"Jose is dependable, reliable loyal to his family and friends, always makes life brighter and better," Lord read. "I’m a lucky person to have a brother like Jose."
Koerner, however, said the family was "just lucky that this defendant had bad aim and he missed killing any of his family members."
Campos was having an argument with his girlfriend when his brother and cousin stepped in, according to the state.
He went to his vehicle, which he could have used to leave the party, Koerner said.
"Instead, he stayed and tried to shoot his family," she said of Campos allegedly returning with the illegally owned gun.
Lord insisted "was not an intentional shooting of anyone," and that her client maintains his innocence in the matter.
"This was a case of individuals drunk and disorderly and having arguments and struggling over a firearm," she said.
Lord pointed to Campos' clean record for his entire life, calling the incident "an aberration in the life of Mr. Campos."
The public safety assessment, which helps determine whether a defendant should be held under bail reform, marked him at the lowest end of the scale both for failure to appear in court and likelihood to reoffend. Despite that, it recommended he be held.
Koerner questioned why it did not include a new violence flag since six of the 10 charges he faces are violent in nature.
In the end, Judge Nancy Ridgway ruled Campos should remain jailed, calling him "an extreme danger to the community regardless of how (the victims) feel about him."
"The fact that the victims in this matter are family and, obviously, they all have forgive him apparently, indicates a risk he will obstruct the process," the judge added.
Lord indicated she would appeal the decision.
