BAIL RAISED TO DETER STALKING SUSPECTS.

Byline: Don Holland Daily News Staff Writer

Ventura County judges have increased the standard bail for stalking suspects after a Ventura woman was repeatedly stalked and eventually slain by her former boyfriend who was free on bail at the time.

The six-member bail committee moved to increase bail for felony stalking suspects from $20,000 to $100,000 in the wake of the Dec. 4 murder of Vicki Shade, a 37-year-old mother from Ventura.

``We're delighted. We're very excited about that,'' said Susan Becker, program director of the Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence in Ventura. ``If the bail is higher, they're not going to get out and continue to terrorize the victim. Basically, what's the purpose of bail but to keep people incarcerated and to keep the people they're harassing safe?''

Even for stalking suspects who do make bail, the new requirement will make it more difficult to raise bail, thus giving stalking victims more time to relocate, she added.

Supervising Deputy District Attorney Bill Redmond said the bail increase will go a long way in protecting victims by keeping more stalking suspects in jail while they await trial.

The higher bail schedule will require stalking suspects in most cases to put up $10,000 in cash, backed up by $90,000 in collateral. Although Shade's killer, Roland Sheehan, was able to meet the lower bail requirements, it's unlikely he could have made bail under the new requirements which were approved Wednesday.

``The amount of bail reflects two things: The ability of the individual to return to court and it provides for the safety of the public,'' said Redmond, who supervises up the district attorney's felony unit. ``This is going to make it more difficult for the person to post bail, get out and be an immediate threat to the victim.''

Each county sets its own bail schedule, and by law, judges are required to make public safety the primary consideration.

Although restraining orders can lead to additional charges against stalkers, protective orders are little defense against stalkers like Sheehan, who repeatedly violated them.

In September, Shade received a restraining order against Sheehan, who had a long arrest record. Within weeks, police arrested him for investigation of battery, making terrorist threats, stalking and violating the protective order.

After posting bail in November, Sheehan continued to stalk and harass Shade. Friends said he repeatedly went to her house and refused to leave. Then when he missed a court hearing, authorities issued a warrant for his arrest.

On Dec. 4, Sheehan broke into Shade's home, where he held her hostage for 10 hours. SWAT team members stormed the house and shot and killed Sheehan when he lunged at police with the same butcher knife he used to stab his former girlfriend to death.

For more information on stalking crimes, call the Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence's 24-hour hotline at [phone] or [phone]. Potential abusers can call the organization's anger management hotline at [phone].