Judge reduces Halle’s bail
William “Bill” Halle’s bail was reduced Tuesday, but he remained in the county prison as of late afternoon while he awaits trial on charges alleging he had sexual contact with a 17-year-old girl who worked for the faith-based nonprofit organization he ran.
Senior Judge William Shaffer issued an order that reduces Halle’s bail from $250,000 to $20,000. If he posts bail and is released, he will be placed on pretrial supervision and is not allowed to contact the teenager or her family, according to the order.
The order comes after Halle’s court appointed attorney Joel Lansing Hills argued at a June 12 hearing for Halle to be released on his own recognizance. Halle has been held in the prison since October.
Halle, a former Butler Area school board member, was initially charged last year by Butler police with having sexual contact with the girl, who worked the Net Cafe Center and participated in a training and nutrition program, which were parts of the now-closed Grace Youth and Family Foundation that Halle founded in Butler.
The charges were dismissed in January, but he was ordered to remain in jail to serve the balance of a six-month sentence for violating his parole by contacting the girl from the jail.
New charges were filed in March, and were held for court at a preliminary hearing in May. The charges are felonies sexual assault by a volunteer or employee of a nonprofit, corruption of minors, criminal use of a communication facility and criminal solicitation, and a misdemeanor count of corruption of minors.
