Teen held on $12,500 bond

Student accused of having knife

A Marjory Stoneman Douglas High student accused of bringing a knife to school was ordered held on $12,500 bond Wednesday after her lawyer called it “out of control” and “ridiculous” that prosecutors wanted her jailed on stricter conditions.

Jordan Salter’s lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Brian Reidy, argued that worries from the school massacre have led prosecutors to seek higher bond amounts for teen defendants.

Salter is accused of displaying a 2-inch black knife at Stoneman Douglas on Tuesday after a boy asked Salter’s friend a sexually offensive question. Prosecutors were being “ridiculous” in asking the judge to set a $20,000 bond for the teen, in addition to other requirements, Reidy told Broward County Judge Kim Mollica.

The boy “made an extremely rude comment to her and probably had it coming,” Reidy said. “I don’t know when we all hit

the fear button where everything is just an absolute emergency.”

Mollica is the same judge who on Tuesday set the bond at $500,000 for Zachary Cruz, the brother of the school shooter Nikolas Cruz. Zachary Cruz was arrested Monday on the charge he trespassed on the school campus more than a month after his brother killed 17 and wounded 17 others.

Salter, 18, was one of three Stoneman Douglas teens detained Tuesday in unrelated incidents.

According to a report from the Broward Sheriff’s Office, a student asked Salter’s friend the sexually offensive question in the school cafeteria. And when the boy leaned in close to Salter’s face, she pulled out the knife, the Broward Sheriff ’s Office said. Salter’s friend poured iced coffee on the boy, then Salter poured cereal on him, the Sheriff ’s Office said.

She only took out the knife to keep the boy away after he confronted her and got in her face, Reidy said.

“I don’t blame a kid for taking a weapon to school, quite frankly, these days,” he said.

Assistant State Attorney Eric Linder said ensuring school safety is the important issue — not that the boy made offensive remarks.

“We’re here for one reason and one reason only: Because she brought a knife onto this school’s campus,” Linder said. “Mr. Reidy’s suggesting, ‘Why all this fear?’ Well, there should be fear. Seventeen people were killed on this campus a month ago. So yeah, there should absolutely be a concern with anyone bringing a weapon onto this or any other school campus.”

Calling the situation “out of control,” Reidy charged back by mentioning how Zachary Cruz’s bond was set at a half-million dollars.

“Yeah, and we have a kid sitting in jail on a $500,000 bond on a misdemeanor because he was armed with a skateboard,” Reidy said, referring to how Cruz allegedly rode his skateboard while trespassing.

Linder asked that Salter undergo a psychological evaluation. Reidy balked at the request, saying the boy who threatened Salter is the one who should be evaluated. The judge replied, “Well, we’re not here for that today.”

Reidy said, “Well, we’re here for this today, and we were here for this yesterday, and it seems like we’re here for this every day.”

Mollica ultimately set the bond at $12,500 and imposed several restrictions, including that Salter keep away from Stoneman Douglas.

“The court does have a concern that this child brought a knife to school,” the judge said.

As 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, jail records showed Salter was no longer in custody.

The teen won’t undergo a psychological evaluation, the judge decided.

Salter’s family attended her hearing Wednesday. Her father, Scott, told the judge, “My daughter’s never been in trouble a day in her life. She was threatened by this guy. She and her friend both were accosted by the guy previous to this.”

Salter’s father said he understood his daughter shouldn’t have taken a knife to the school, but said she has been “terrified” since the Feb. 14 school massacre.

“She’s never exhibited any behavior like this,” he said.

Salter